Heart of the Cards version 1
by Demon1
Summary: Reposted and edited story. All OC's, it's one of those turned into your favorite card things. Ebon is a girl in this one. Much better story from last time, I'm happy. Enjoy!
1. Without Holdin' Anybody's Hand

Heart of the Cards  
  
******  
  
Chapter One: "Without Holdin' Anybody's Hand"  
  
"What's that?" Kennie asked me, peering over my shoulder at the deck of cards splayed out in my right hand.  
  
I peered at him and couldn't help but smile. Reaching back to scruff his hair with my free hand, I said simply "My Duel Monsters deck."  
  
His eyes widened at that, and he all but shouted, "Oh yeah! Those! My bros have decks like that too!" He burst out laughing, probably at the word "bros" and ended up smearing mint ice cream on his nose.  
  
I was not exactly thrilled with the idea of entrusting my deck to a hyperactive 6-year-old kid with sticky fingers, but... who could resist? "Wanna see, Kennie?"  
  
"Yeah!" He hopped down next to me to sit on the park bench. Handing it over, I watched as he maniacally flipped through it one handedly, managing by some grace of God to keep my cards clean.  
  
"Oooh... 'The Dark Magician!'" he said, imitating his older brother no doubt. "Is this your best card?"  
  
"... Almost. It's my favorite, by far though." I answered, smirking. Looking around as if expecting a conspiring group of thieves disguised as bushes were near, I continued, "I..... guess I could show you, huh?"  
  
His eyes widened considerably. "What is it?!"  
  
I chuckled slightly, and pulled out a thin plastic card box from my pocket. Uncomfortable to sit on, yes, but that was a small price to pay.  
  
"Ohhh..." Kennie said, leaning in. "Cool... shiny."  
  
I clicked it open and took out my precious card gently. "Here, just be careful..." I smiled, knowing that after that; he would treat it as if it were made out of glass.  
  
"B-Blue... eyes..." He squinted, attempting to read the lettering at the top. "U-ul."  
  
"Ultimate." I supplied.  
  
"Ultimate! Um... dr-a... gon." He blinked, and grinned as if the answers of the universe had been revealed to him. "Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Um, is it real strong?"  
  
"Yup." I said, putting it back in the case. Kennie had pretty much announced to the whole park the rarity of the card I owned, but no one there really looked like a duelist. Or a thief. Unless old Mrs. Schmitz and her white German shepherd made a living by stealing and battling monsters, it was safe.  
  
"Well, Kennie. You'd better get home. You know how Will is when you're late."  
  
Kennie had finally returned his attentions back to his half melted ice cream, but now looked up fearfully. "Uh-oh! I'm busted! What time is it, Ebon?"  
  
"Four thirty-four. Hey kiddo, I'll walk you home, okay?"  
  
"Umm, nah s'okay. I can cross the street without holdin' anybody's hand!" He looked a little indignant, so I dropped the topic.  
  
"Alright, tell Will and Blaine that I said hello."  
  
"Kay! Bye!" He waved and turned around, tossing his demolished cone in a trashcan and sprinting off into the afternoon. It was a perfect day for Kennie to be outside. Besides the heat, which made it so that one could fry eggs on the sidewalk, everything was ideal. It really was too bad that his older brother Will has so overly protective.  
  
I closed my eyes and reveled in the warmth of the angry sun. There were times when I wondered if I had been a lizard in another life, baking in revere on a flat stone in some random desert.  
  
I glanced down at my watch and snapped out of my sleepy trance.  
  
"Four thirty-four?! Jeez, I'M late too!" groaning, I hoped Ivy wouldn't be too worried if I showed up fifteen minutes late to our duel.  
  
******  
  
{A/N: Ok, ok. I know, it's been done before. But, hey. I just couldn't resist the ol' "turned-into-your-favorite-card" plotline. **Sigh** Oh BTW, I didn't add in any actual Yu-Gi-Oh Cast members into this story. Besides the card game, everything else is original. I... just don't like mixing original people with Yu-Gi-Oh cast.  
  
I HAD to revise this POS, and I will continue revising it until I'm satisfied that the first two chapters don't suck the soul out of any true Yu-Gi-Oh card game lover. I re-read the duel between Ivy and Ebon and felt like shooting myself in the foot. How could I have known so little about the game and still tried to write it! How!!! *sobs*  
  
Annnyway... I've decided also to break up the story into two separate files, since my original HoTC story is messed up and confusing. It'll also make updating a lot easier. Speaking of updates--- I sure haven't in a while! It all started a few months ago...  
  
Me: *typing pages and pages and pages of HoTC* Computer: Fuck you. *dies* Files: Yeah, fuck you. *get erased* Me: *takes an axe to everyone in my house*  
  
Yes, it's a poor excuse, but yeah... I was discouraged. BUT a man came to our school and hypnotized us today, and I've been feeling strangely... motivated ever since! HOO HA HA!!!}  
  
-~=~- Disclaimer: I don't own ANYTHING Yu-Gi-Oh! And I mean anything. They all belong to their respective owners... sadly U_U -~=~- 


	2. And I'll YELL All I Want

Heart of the Cards  
  
******  
  
Chapter Two: "And I'll YELL All I Want"  
  
I slowed my run to a jog, and finally to a stop in front of Ivy's porch. Running a mile in an intense heat wave was not something I usually enjoyed, or wanted to make a habit of. Leaning up against the softly painted white wall to catch my breath, I once more reflected upon the time. Now I was about a half an hour late, enough time to make someone as worrisome as Ivy conclude that I had been abducted by aliens or brutally murdered.  
  
I suddenly remembered WHY I had come there, and slipped the plastic box out of my pocket. I slid my deck out of my front jeans pocket, straightened up and pushed open the door, greeted by soft melody of a wind chime deep within the house. Within seconds, a very flustered Ivy had come out to greet me.  
  
"Ebon! There you are! I was very worried, you know... where WERE you?" she said, rushing over and giving me the look equivalent to that of a long-lost sibling.  
  
"Ivy, sorry, you know, I met Kennie at the park and lost track of time..." I said, rubbing the sweat off the back of my neck.  
  
"Well, at least that's all you did!" she reprimanded, turning to walk through the living room.  
  
I followed, shuffling my deck idly as I walked. Sometimes, for fun, I would just shuffle until I felt a pang of... something, and draw a hand of five cards from the top, just to see if I could really trust my instincts in a duel.  
  
Flipping the first 5 cards off of the top, I felt my mouth drop open slightly.  
  
Dark Magician, Black Magical Curtain, Doma the Angel of Silence, Ring of Magnetism and 1000 knives. What were the odds of getting all of my favorite cards in one hand?  
  
Shrugging it off, I re-shuffled and sat down on the reclining white chair in Ivy's well-furnished den. It really was a nice place, with its off-white fluffy carpeting, crème yellow curtains, and ancient and dusty wooden shelves holding countless ancient and dusty artifacts with no names.  
  
Ivy brushed a lock of blonde away from her face, and pulled her deck out of an old looking box. While other girls spent their money on cosmetics or clothes, Ivy could always be found tearing through rickety antique stores or raiding the library for books on the past.  
  
After we followed the traditional rule of shuffling each other's decks, I drew my hand of cards.  
  
I'm not all that good in math, not all that good in art, I suck like a kid with a lollypop in athletic sports, but I can say with a certain extent of pride that I am one tough to beat opponent when it comes to Duel Monsters. However, Ivy was, too. There were times I wondered if she went easy on me like I sometimes went easy on her, but I somehow doubted it. Ivy knew me well, and I her, having known each other since our diaper-days, and therefore she understood how touchy pity or cheap second chances were with me.  
  
Our duel flew by in a flurry of flipping cards, de-spells (it felt like a hundred of them, even though we each only had two), hidden trap cards that fell my strong monsters and well-placed attacks that wiped us each down to about 500 points, and with how few cards we each had left, we were both in danger of loosing from trision anyway, which actually happened a lot. It was the most crucial point of the match.  
  
It was Ivy's turn. She contemplated her hand for a moment, brow furrowed gently, eyes glancing her cards over carefully. I, meanwhile, stared down at our battlefield. I had a field advantage with the Yami, or Darkness card in play, and the one monster I had left on there, Dark Magician in attack mode, was pretty much going to be able to take out both of her defense monsters that were left. I'd memorized Ivy's deck, and I knew she only had one more card that could possibly win this for her, and if one of those two face downs were it, I'd already be a goner. The duel was pretty much in the bag at this point.  
  
However, I was nowhere NEAR underestimating my best friend. In spite of the fact that we knew each other, and our decks, like the back of our hands, the constant skill and strategy that we employed always changed, so the duels were never dull, never predictable, and never, ever over until the last point was gone.  
  
"Alright." Ivy said decisively. "I'm going to sacrifice these two to summon..."  
  
She lay the card down on the field, and my insides went numb. There it was, a face up Blue Eyes White Dragon, cobalt eyes shining out from the card in a radiant way and ensnaring my gaze. Crap.  
  
I didn't have any other monsters I could put on the field, and I knew my deck well enough so that when I drew my next card, I wasn't hoping to get some low-level thing to stave off the dragon's inevitable attack on the next turn. I didn't have any more monsters in my three-card deck. I got a magic card that, although excellent in other situations, was useless to me here.  
  
Instead of turning my Dark Magician into defense mode, I let her take the rest of my points. It was an honor thing, I suppose.  
  
"Well, that was a great duel, Ebon! Thank you!" Ivy said.  
  
I nodded, smiling and shook her hand. I'd always known that she had a Blue Eyes, but it wasn't until I got my own Blue Eyes Ultimate that I'd started to envy it slightly. Without three Blue Eyes White Dragon and a polymerization card (all of which were pretty rare) the very best card in could ever hope to own, with level twelve, attack of 4500 and defense of 3800. was utterly useless.  
  
**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!** A horribly loud whamming on the door grabbed my attention.  
  
"Uh!" Ivy started, leaping up. "I'm coming!"  
  
I followed her to the door, but not before stopping to scoop up my deck and spilling the cards back into their holder. An angry male voice followed by Ivy's flustered tones sounded from the front of the house.  
  
Rounding the corner, I knew what was going on the second that the scene met my eyes. A VERY angry Will was interrogating Ivy, dark eyes (I usually referred to them as black, even though that wasn't possible) narrowed and looking like the very depths of hell. Behind him, Blaine tried futilely to calm his brother down.  
  
"Will, don't yell! Will, calm down... Ivy, I'm so sorry, but you see-- "  
  
"Shut up, Blaine! This is important, and I'll YELL all I want!" Will snapped at his brother, whipping to face him like a provoked scorpion.  
  
"What's going on? Where's Kennie?" I asked, stepping out and giving him a warning look. If he thought that Ivy had done something to Kennie, he had poorer judgment than I had previously thought possible.  
  
"THAT'S what I'm here for!" He snarled, turning on me, his new victim. "You. You were with him today, right? You must have been. You said you were going to the park today, and that's where he was last!" I had to admire how hard he worked to find someone to blame. The guy had gumption.  
  
Glancing over from the worried Blaine to the warpath Will, I was once again struck by how different from each other they were. Blaine was dirty-blonde with green eyes, gentle and soft-spoken, who never liked to make waves. He was also quite people-friendly, but a bit too much for his own good.  
  
Will, he was auburn haired, dark brown eyed, with a fire in his gaze to match it. He was suspicious, antisocial and quite brash.  
  
I didn't realize that I had gotten wrapped up in my thoughts until Will exploded again.  
  
"Tell me, Ebon!"  
  
"Huh! Wha, oh right. Yeah, I WAS at the park. Kennie WAS there. And I DID send him home. I haven't seen him since. Neither of us have. He should be home by now, did you check there?" I challenged, giving him a stoic glare.  
  
This time Blaine calmly supplied the answer. "... Yes. He wasn't there."  
  
"This doesn't sound good..." Ivy murmured, looking off to the right to think. I knew that she was probably upset at being accused like that, but if someone were in possible trouble, she would get mad at Will later. "We'll help you look for him, okay Will?"  
  
"...." I guess Ivy took his silence as a "Yes. Thank you."  
  
"Where was he headed last?" Blaine asked me, with worry etched deeply into his features.  
  
"... Heading out of the park and heading east. Toward your house, I guess." I said, ripping my eyes from Will, who had turned bing cherry red.  
  
"Let's go." Will stated with finality in his voice that no one argued with.  
  
******  
  
{AN: YESSSS, YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!! This is it! THIS is the most hated chapter in this little story!!! AND I PSEUDO-FIXED IT!!!! WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA... No more freakin' inaccurate dueling, no more non- existent rules!!! YEAH BABY!!!!!! ... Okay, so I just cut most of the duel out, but it's better than that horrible former BLASPHEMY!!!!!!  
  
*cough* I'm okay. This part has just been bothering me a lot lately, ya know, haunting my sleep at night and such. BUT NO LONGER!!!!! XD XD XD} 


	3. Don't You Dare Tell Me to Calm Down

Heart of the Cards  
  
******  
  
Chapter Three: "Don't You Dare Tell Me to Calm Down"  
  
The sun was starting to set along the western horizon, dying the sky a blushy shade of pink. A slight chill had crept into the air, and whether it was from that, or the fact that we had still not found Kennie; I was starting to shiver.  
  
I didn't even want to chance a look over at Will. I had a feeling that he just may turn and bite someone's head of at the slightest provocation.  
  
"Kennie? Kennie, where are you?" Ivy called out into the pre-twilight.  
  
We were in a strange part of town, far from home by now. Ivy had sent Blaine (much to Will's reluctance) down a different part of the street to check. I couldn't remember how long we had been looking, but it had certainly been more than an hour. Ivy and I had done most of the calling, and Blaine had done most of the scouting. I'd managed to convince Will to let us all go to their home, just to make sure Kennie wasn't there. Much to my surprise, he hadn't been. I knew that Kennie was a capable kid; he wasn't one of those type's who would wander off without leaving a note. Especially with a brother like Will, and Blaine too, to a degree.  
  
"Blaine, any sign of him?" I asked, seeing the blonde haired boy rounding a corner to meet us. But the look he gave me told me 'no' immediately.  
  
All the while, Will was strangely quiet, only breaking the silence every so often to make an unidentifiable noise in his throat.  
  
I sighed, and leaned up against a brick wall as we decided to stop at a streetlight. I was really starting to get worried. And seeing that I was the most unemotional of the group, I could only imagine what the others were going through.  
  
"DAMN IT!!!"  
  
At Will's explosion, I jerked my head suddenly, hitting the back of it painfully on the wall in the process. Ivy let a small scream escape, and Blaine simply blinked. I had to wonder if he was either immune to Will from extended exposure, or partially deaf.  
  
"Kennie! Kennie, damn it, where the hell ARE you?!" He shouted, taking a step forward and looking frantically left and right, as if he could make him materialize if he yelled loud enough. I had no idea where the outburst came from, but to think of it, I'd have probably done the same thing in his position.  
  
"Will, calm down. Yelling won't solve this." I tried, walking to his back and resting a hand on it somewhat awkwardly.  
  
The reaction was instantaneous. In half a second flat, he had spun around, locked eyes with me and moved his face a mere inch away from mine. I flinched backwards involuntarily.  
  
"Don't you dare tell me to calm down, Ebon." He said, with a quietness to his voice that was even more intimidating than the volume it usually held. "Don't you DARE. You don't know what it's like. I don't care what you say, I'm tired of pussy-footing around. This is MY little brother, and I'm doing things MY way, and if you have a problem with that, then LEAVE. Who knows what could have happened to him by now."  
  
I said nothing, staring into the crackling depths of black that tried to pass themselves off as eyes.  
  
He glared into my soul for a few more seconds, before turning around and vanishing around the corner. No one tried to stop him.  
  
Had I been younger, more passionate towards people and feelings and insults, I would have been red in the face and fuming, ranting on and on about how he had turned and snapped at me for no reason when I was trying to be nice. But, since I wasn't young or passionate, I internalized my tiny twang of anger into annoyance and heaved a sigh.  
  
After a few minutes of silence, Ivy broke the tension.  
  
"... We should follow him..." she mumbled, looking down at her feet.  
  
"... Yeah." I agreed stiffly, trying to blink the negative vibes out of my being.  
  
"Blaine, where do you think he's--... Blaine...? Huh?" Ivy spun around once, twice, three times, four. I glanced left and right, and did my own spinning act. Blaine was suddenly gone.  
  
Now, he was not the type to impulsively run off after Will, especially in one of his moods. He was like Kennie in that sense; he wouldn't leave without saying so, or waiting until we'd all go. It never really occurred to me what a dysfunctional bunch of people we were.  
  
Ivy furrowed her brow, and stuttered, "Um- Well, maybe he... went after him already?"  
  
I nodded, but inside, I seriously doubted that.  
  
******  
  
{A/N: Not much editing had to be done to this chappie actually. that's cool. But I changed Will's rant around a little, so it didn't seem so random and out of the blue. Before it had parts in it about how he didn't ask Ivy and Ebon to tag along and lead the search for HIS little brother, yadda yadda, when actually, in the previous chapter, he says "Let's go" which implies that he did ^__^ And even though Will can be an ass, he's not a hypocritical ass. At least, I'm trying to make him not a hypocritical ass. Oh well, see you in later chapters!} 


	4. I'll Pick a Choice For You

Heart of the Cards  
  
******  
  
Chapter Four:  
  
"Will! Blaine? Kennie!?" I shouted. I had earned myself throbbing vocal chords, aching feet, and a strong tension in my neck, like someone was watching me.  
  
All in all, I was VERY irritated.  
  
The sun had finally set, blanketing the world with twilight going on darkness. I'd stumbled and fallen over myself five times in the last ten minutes, due to the uneven and bumpy roads, and knocked over two trashcans. Ivy, however, seemed to have a kind of repellant to clumsiness, and could be seen gliding along next to me, white skin practically glowing in the darkness. Yes, I envied her sometimes.  
  
It had been a long time now, and I knew I should call all of our parents, so that they wouldn't worry. Come to think of it, I should have called the police first of all, because this was now officially a missing person case.  
  
"Ebon, I don't know how they could have gotten this far! Will, yes, I believe he could be miles away by now. But I'd like to think that Blaine is more considerate!" Ivy huffed, mumbling half to me, and half to herself.  
  
"Mmmph!" I exclaimed, smacking into a wall that I was convinced had jumped out in front of me. Pulling away from it, I answered with, "Yeah, tell me about it."  
  
"Hmm..."  
  
"NO! Ivy, you are NOT going to pull the 'Let's split up and meet back here in fifteen minutes' thing on me! We'll be even worse off then."  
  
"Ok, ok! My goodness Ebon, it was just a thought..."  
  
To tell the truth, I was still pretty irritated about what Will had said. I knew that he was under a lot of pressure, but what he said in that outburst was still uncalled for.  
  
I stopped and sighed, leaning up against a wall and taking off my black boots. Tossing the burden behind a pile of boxes in an alley, I memorized the barely visible street sign so I could come back to get them later.  
  
I stood up and turned around to face Ivy, saying, "Ok, let's try--"  
  
I blinked a few times, shook my head out, and let my mouth fall open slightly. I really hoped that I was just going crazy...  
  
But Ivy was gone. Totally and completely evaporated, as if she were never there.  
  
"Aaargh!" I shouted in frustration, pounding my fist into the side of the brick wall. Pain shot up my wrist, and I regretted that action very, very much.  
  
Holding my smarting arm and standing up, I murmured curse words under my breath in all languages I knew and glanced around both corners to make sure she hadn't just walked a few yards away to scout. Nothing. Unless Ivy could run down the street until I couldn't see her at all in a matter of twenty seconds, she'd vanished weirdly too.  
  
Standing up, now in a black mood, I shouted, "IVY! BLAINE! WILL!"  
  
Of course, I got no answer.  
  
Sitting down to think of where they could have gone, I instinctively yanked out my dueling deck. If I were Will, I would be a rampaging Red Eyes Black Dragon in the streets, trying to find Kennie by any means, such as threatening people and trying to upturn buildings. You know, the traditional.  
  
Come to think of it, Red Eyes had been his favorite card.  
  
HAD been?! I was talking about him like he was...  
  
Grumbling, I continued narrowing down the possibilities. Blaine, he would be trying to be brave, like his brother, but lacking the black and red rage of Will. He'd probably either be looking for Kennie, or his elder brother, timidly asking people if they'd seen a boy about so tall in his polite little voice.  
  
Celtic Guardian. I'd always pictured that card as an honorable and spiritual sort of elven warrior. It figured that it would be his favorite card.  
  
I got up and dusted off my jeans absently. There was really only one thing to do...  
  
Squinting through the twilight, I searched for a payphone. Finding no immediate answer to my wishes, I dug in my pocket, looking for a cell phone or... anything, really.  
  
Lint, a piece of string, and a dime. OK, that was fine. Now if only I could find a quarter...  
  
Leaning over and wandering around like a hunchback, I felt pretty stupid looking around for a quarter in the middle of the night, in the middle of the sidewalk.  
  
So, naturally, I didn't know there was someone in front of me until I smashed into them.  
  
"Ugh!" I exclaimed, whipping my head up and backing off.  
  
"... Why don't you watch where you're going?" A cold voice sounded from the figure I'd head butted. In spite of the fact that I'd knocked them pretty hard in the stomach, I may as well have just ran head on into a brick wall, for all they seemed to care.  
  
"... Sorry." I stated, straightening up. "What are you doing out so late?"  
  
"The same could be asked of you."  
  
I frowned, dislike immediately forming. This person was obviously challenging me in some way, unknown for the moment.  
  
They turned uncaringly, and shrugged. "... You just might end up like your friends if you aren't careful."  
  
It took me a while to process that sentence. Did that person just say...?  
  
"What the... What are you talking about?!" I demanded, grabbing the unusually hard shoulder and spinning the figure around to face me.  
  
Gold light from the street lamp above poured onto their features, revealing a face that I recognized as being female. I scowled, I repeated my question.  
  
"What are you talking about... if you did anything to them..."  
  
A laugh escaped her throat, not harsh, just amused. And hinted with ice. "Oh, they're fine. I just didn't realize you wanted to join them so badly."  
  
I gritted my teeth and snapped, "Quit playing around! Tell me where they are, and after that you'd better believe I'm turning you in to the police!"  
  
"Hmm." The police suddenly seemed meek and lame. I wondered if that had even fazed this strangest of strangers.  
  
She pulled a card out of her pocket, and even in the poor light, I had little trouble recognizing it as a Duel Monsters card. If she thought I was in the mood to Duel, she was sadly mistaken.  
  
"Hey you, what's the big idea?" I said, no longer confident. There was a prickling sensation on my neck, and I had a bad feeling of something that was coming next.  
  
"You want to join them...?" She asked again. "If you don't answer me, I'll pick a choice for you."  
  
"... Shut up." I growled, taking out my own deck. If fighting her was the only way to get some decent answers, that was fine by me.  
  
She chuckled when she saw my move, and shook her head. "I don't think so."  
  
Before I knew what was going on, she flipped the card toward me, and all went black.  
  
******  
  
{A/N: Hardly any editing at all!!! YESSS, I've gotten past the icky bad writing, and it's smooth sailing from here on out. Thank you, thank you :D} 


	5. You Don't HAVE a Name Anymore, Do You?

Heart of the Cards  
  
******  
  
Chapter Five: "You Don't HAVE a Name Anymore, Do You?"  
  
(Ivy's P.O.V.)  
  
I sighed, wrapping my arms further around my knees, and shivering against the not-quite cold. The air was stale and dry, with just a hint of the kind of cold you get at a high altitude. Other than that, the space around me had just one other distinct feature.  
  
Shadows.  
  
Shadows, everywhere.  
  
Shadows that felt around your skin, pressed in against your mind, and filled your lungs with each breath.  
  
Not for the first time, and definitely not for the last, I wondered where in the world I was. And also not for the first time, I reached back and pulled the large white wing attached to my back out in front of my face, to see if it was real.  
  
Yup. Real, just like it was four minutes ago.  
  
Of course I recognized those wings on my back, the same way I recognized them when I drew the famous card from my deck. The wings, the tail, the claws and although I had no mirror, I was willing to bet, the eyes.  
  
All features of the unmistakable Blue-Eyes White Dragon.  
  
I shivered again, whether from the cold or from the strange mutations to my body, I wasn't sure. So far, I'd seen neither hide nor hair of Will, Blaine or Kennie... although, I wasn't really sure if they would be here with me.  
  
For all I knew, I could be insane.  
  
"...Ugh..."  
  
I froze. After my brain comprehended the noise from behind me, my body clicked in gear and I sprang awkwardly to my clawed feet, newly acquired wings fanning out in alarm and effectively tipping me off-balance.  
  
"Oww... dammit..."  
  
Hold on... that sounded a lot like...  
  
"Ebon?!"  
  
"Huh!" The now determined voice exclaimed. I tackled Ebon, knocking us both to the floor (which didn't really matter, since we were both on the floor anyway) with my irritating wings AGAIN.  
  
"Oh, Ebon! Thank goodness someone's here! I was so worried about you!"  
  
"Wha, whoa. Slow down Ivy, chill." Getting up gruffly, Ebon brushed off her arms, only to freeze in the process. "Ho-ly..."  
  
I blinked, only now noticing the outfit she was clad down in. It looked quite uncomfortable, really, but I suppose I wasn't in any position to talk. Dark violet armor seemed unreasonably large and bulky, fitting wrong in some places. A swooping helmet connected down to what looked like football gear shoulder pads, and continued down after that.  
  
Undeniably the Dark Magician.  
  
"Why the..." Ebon turned around to face me, and exclaimed, "WHAT THE!!! Ivy! What in the world...?!"  
  
"... I don't know, and I don't know." I blinked, and sighed, feeling like a second-hand smoker in all the shadows. For some reason, though, they didn't affect my vision too much, like mist or fog would.  
  
"Okay. This started out funky, kind of freaky, and now it's just plain stupid." Ebon stated, retortedlly swishing her staff. "I'm a Dark Magician, you're a Blue-Eyes, we're lost in shadows, probably sent here by that weird freak girl, and we didn't even find Kennie."  
  
Well, when she put it that way...  
  
"Oh my god... No, no, no no NO! Blaine!"  
  
"Huh?!" I exclaimed in unison with Ebon. I never really realized how well I could recognize voices until they were echoing at me from unknown directions.  
  
"Will? Will, where are you?!" I called, cupping clawed hands around my mouth.  
  
"Screw! Let's just follow his voice!" Ebon shouted, already 40 feet away, to my shock. I ran after her as best I could, trying not to trip and fall over my tail, feet or wingtips. Ebon was running surprisingly fast for someone carrying a least 50 extra pounds of armor.  
  
"Will, w-what the hell?!" Ebon came to a halt abruptly, and I nearly crushed her with my momentum. I scrambled to the side, and gasped at the scene that held my eyes.  
  
Will, a Red-Eyes Black Dragon, was crouching low, shaking an unmoving form on the ground, in Celtic Guardian armor.  
  
Blaine!  
  
"Oh my goodness, what happened?" I asked, kneeling and propping up Blaine's head. Will's darkened, anguished eyes bored holes in me, and I nearly cried. I'd never seen him so helplessly emotional in my life.  
  
"Help him, Ivy, please! I don't know what happened, he just crumpled to the floor, I-"  
  
"Shhh." Ebon said, kneeling down by us. "Calm down, Will. You'll just upset him."  
  
I cringed, expecting Will to snape at Ebon, but nothing came except for silence. I blinked, confused, but put it out of my mind. Checking Blaine's pulse, I was shocked to find that it was beating at a perfectly normal pace; he appeared to be sleeping, but the strangled and worn in look to his features told me otherwise. He looked haggard, and although he was still breathing, it was a shaky alliance he kept with life.  
  
Then, all at once, he went slack.  
  
"Uhh!" I cried, shocked. "Blaine, can you hear me? Blaine!"  
  
"Pathetic."  
  
Ebon and Will were both on their feet in a matter of seconds, Ebon gripping her staff instinctually, and Will balling his clawed fists. Both seethed in dark, hellish anger.  
  
"YOU!" Ebon shouted. "I thought I'd be seeing you! Who the hell are you? Where have you taken us? And WHAT is wrong with Blaine?!"  
  
"If you've so much as TOUCHED my brother, I'll KILL YOU!" Will roared, his voice magnified in the echoy quality of our atmosphere, and perhaps Red- Eyes vocal chords.  
  
"Tsk, tsk. Calm down, Red-Eyes Black Dragon. That's no way to behave, a strong card like you."  
  
"I'm not a card, you bitch!" I winced at the foul language, but it was completely true. I scooped Blaine into my arms with care, and (miraculously for someone small-builded like me) stood up to glare at her as well.  
  
"We want some answers! But first, you'd better undo whatever it is you've done to Blaine!"  
  
"... So much yelling. I may just decide to leave you be, if you're not more polite." She said coldly, lavender eyes icing the air even more than the shadows. "Follow me, my pets."  
  
"RRRRRRAGH! Shut up!"  
  
Surprisingly, that wasn't Will. Ebon seethed, and swung her staff like a baseball bat, which was painfully pathetic. Especially when she missed (even with a point-blank shot) and performed a full spin and a half, crunching into Will, who seemed unfazed.  
  
"And how are we supposed to trust you?! You dragged us all here one by one, turned us into mutant freaks, and expect us to just follow you at the drop of a hat?!"  
  
"If you want to see your brother die the worst death of all, fine by me. Celtic Guardians aren't that strong."  
  
Deadly silence emitted from Will. I didn't like that look, I didn't like it at all. His blacker-than-black eyes darkened even more, putting the shadows to shame. He lowered his horned head, hair falling into his eyes and casting more ebony on his face. His shoulders trembled, and I swore I felt the ground beneath my feel shudder. I hugged Blaine closer, hoping this wasn't aggravating his condition.  
  
Ebon had recovered from the embarrassment, and now grabbed the girl's arm in a metal vice grip. I often pitied her cards, although she was gentler with them.  
  
"Tell. Me. What's. Wrong. NOW."  
  
Will shuddered, his face going red, drawing in long, ragged breaths. He'd either blow a vein and die of a stroke, or explode and kill someone at any second.  
  
I hoped the latter.  
  
"You are hopeless. Follow me or not." The girl flicked Ebon's hand off with two fingers, as if it were a piece of filth, dirty and simple to dispose of. Ebon's hand flew backward, causing her to jerk slightly. This girl didn't look it, but she was strong. Incredibly strong.  
  
I stepped forward reluctantly.  
  
"Come on, Will, Ebon. We... have no choice but to follow her."  
  
"Ivy! She'll--"  
  
"I know, Ebon, I know. But Blaine needs help. Bad."  
  
"... Ugh." Ebon paused for what seemed like too long, and finally said "I hate it, but you're right. Will... let's go."  
  
He was quiet, but stepped forward stiffly, as if relearning how to walk.  
  
I kept my eyes focused on Blaine's face as we walked, although I doubted that there would be any changes in his condition. This girl seemed to have made us an unspoken promise; if we followed her like good Duel Monsters, no harm would befall Blaine.  
  
Still. I didn't trust her as far as I could throw a truck.  
  
Surprisingly, even as lost in thought as I was, I began to notice a distinct change in the atmosphere. The "sky" gradually went from dark shifting masses of gray to an almost normal green-blue color. Frigid air warmed ever so slightly, and I could tell that the shadows were dissipating. A little.  
  
And then, all at once, we were at her front door.  
  
And what a front door it was! Her "house" was nothing short of a palace, but not one I'd ever seen before. I vaguely recalled white pearly castles from storybooks my mother had read me, and the "Castle of Dark Illusions" card that Kennie owned, but this place fit neither description. It was made up of what appeared to be stone, if stone could move. The entire castle seemed to seethe, the rocks that made it up ever constantly shifting and re- arranging, as if they couldn't make up their minds. I suppose you could call it medieval, to a degree.  
  
The girl led us in through a drawbridge that simply shifted to the ground, without aid of rope and lever. Once inside, Will began to snap out of his zombie-like revere.  
  
"...You, we're here now. So spill the beans, what do you want?"  
  
The girl ignored him entirely, and yanked on a stone dragon's head that was artfully sculpted on one of the walls.  
  
To be honest, I wasn't all that shocked when the entire wall moved to grant us entrance to a hidden passage. This type of thing was seen all the time on television, but it was none-the-less odd that it was happening to us.  
  
The four of us (not including Blaine, who was still unconscious in my arms) made our way further down a finding stairwell. Though it was dark and only lit by a few burning red orbs here and there, I was relieved that at least the stone walls were calmer down here, and didn't move around like anxious school children.  
  
"Ivy." Ebon hissed by my ear.  
  
"Hmm?" I answered as quietly as possible.  
  
"..." she paused, as if unsure of what to say. "I have an idea."  
  
I waited for her to continue, but she never got the chance.  
  
With a resounding SMACK, something crashed into Ebon's head.  
  
"Aaargh!!" She shouted, stumbling backwards into a wall.  
  
"Stop that." retorted the girl who was leading us, shooting a death glare to what looked like a furry... cat?  
  
"Sorry ma'am, couldn't help it." The lithe figure flipped downward, and landed gracefully on one knee, before standing up casually. Now, in the light of the glowing orb, I realized that this person was indeed a furry cat... but not quite. He had blackish skin, and odd, cartoonish ears and gloves, but the rest of him looked relatively humanoid.  
  
I understood with a start; he was like us, a person trapped as a card.  
  
How many "cards" did she HAVE?!  
  
"I'm sure." The girl sniffed, glancing unamused at the boy. "But it's a good thing you decided to show up on TIME for once, although your method of entrance needs improving. Show these four to their rooms."  
  
"Yes'm!" He beamed mischievously. His head snapped in my direction suddenly, and I jerked with a start. "Ahhh, you're a pretty little thing."  
  
I stepped backwards, very uncomfortable under his youthfully shrewd stare. A smirk quirked permanently at one corner of his mouth, and his magenta eyes gleamed like he knew some kind of joke or secret that no one ever had a chance of getting out of him. The way he spoke was odd too, like a stereotypical oily car salesman, who could persuade anyone to buy the "old- woman-who-went-grocery-shopping-once-a-week" car. He strung his words together like liquid metal, fluent and flawless.  
  
He made me extremely nervous.  
  
"And what's your name? Ahhh, yes. I forgot, you don't HAVE a name anymore, do you? Tut tut, nope... you are now; the mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Great, hmm?" He paused, and I looked away, hoping he'd leave.  
  
Instead, he trailed a gloved finger across my cheek, and pushed my chin so I was facing him again. "Not too friendly, huh? Well, get used to me; you'll be seeing me around a lot."  
  
"Get AWAY from her." Ebon's hand fell on the boy's shoulder, and she shoved him forcefully into the wall he'd just scraped herself off of. The boy bounced off and came face to face with her again. There was maybe three inches separating their noses.  
  
"Oh, powerful cards we got today. DM, I presume? A GIRL DM. Well, that's new. Or are you one of those girls that want to be a guy? Hmm?"  
  
"Shut the hell up! How'd you feel about having this rammed down your throat?!" She said, gripping her staff and jabbing his chest with it.  
  
The boy laughed, and cupped Ebon's cheeks. "Oh, you're so cutesy with your weak threats, Mr. Magician!"  
  
"Back off," snapped Will. "If we have to obey Duel Monster rules, I could easily kick your sorry ass."  
  
"Hmmm, can't argue there. Well! Let's be off then, shall we?"  
  
I scowled, something I rarely do. I highly detested this person, and this place. I'd be happy to just have him take us to our "rooms" so that we could have some peace.  
  
Maybe.  
  
***  
  
Ebon closed the door hard behind us, no doubt grateful to have our annoying guide gone. I lay Blaine down on one of the surprisingly nice beds, and sat down at the foot of it.  
  
NOW Will threw his fit.  
  
"I can't BELIEVE it here!" He ranted, pacing. "Why the HELL did we agree to follow her?! I hate this, if expects to have a room full of happy, obedient slaves, she's SADLY MISTAKEN!"  
  
"I'm with you on this one." Ebon said, leaning up against the closed door. "We can't just sit here like good little boys and girls. There's something seriously wrong here. I mean, you usually don't go through all the trouble trapping people in cards, just to give them hotel rooms and residence in the Land of the Freaks. She's up to something."  
  
"Hey!" I exclaimed. "He's waking up!"  
  
We all rushed over to Blaine's bedside, where he was stirring.  
  
"Unnn..." he murmured, clenching his eyes before he sleepily opened them. "Where...?"  
  
"Blaine!" Will exclaimed, falling to one knee and crushing his brother in a Red-Eyes hug. It took every amount of strength I had not to cup my hands over my heart and go "aaaaaaaw!"  
  
Ebon was not so carried away. "Blaine, are you feeling better?" she inquired, laying a hand on his forehead. "Are you in pain?"  
  
"N-No, I'm fine. Will? Is everything all right?" Blaine said, sitting up and putting a hand to his brother's shoulder.  
  
"God, Blaine, nothing's alright, everything's screwed, but I'm just damned glad you're alive." He stood up, and looked his brother over one last time, checking for scratches or splinters, no doubt.  
  
"Will. Why are you a Red-Eyes?"  
  
Will smiled a bit, and looked lost. "Sorry, Blaine. I have no idea whatsoever."  
  
Blaine stood up, looking melancholy and confused, but then again, that was his default expression. He looked over at me, and Ebon, and said "Oh, I see," as he looked down at his own armor.  
  
Ebon filled him in on what happened, and in the meantime, Will turned to me.  
  
"Ivy... Thank you. I-- shouldn't have gotten so carried away earlier, I'm... sorry." He looked uncomfortable, and a bit bruised of pride.  
  
I smiled. "It's not a problem, Will. I understand, this has been a very stressful day. And, if my body clock is right, it should be around 2:00 a.m. our time. Try to get some sleep, okay? We'll think of something tomorrow morning."  
  
He nodded gratefully, and moved off to lie on a bed next to Blaine's. I crawled under the covers of my own bed, and Ebon took a place in the one next to me. I glanced over at Will, who was shifting and rustling his covers. Although he was physically tired, and sedated at the contact with blankets and pillows, a never-ending turbulence obviously still hovered around him.  
  
Poor thing; I hoped he could find some rest and peace after we got out of this crazy place.  
  
I closed my eyes and sighed softly.  
  
IF we ever got out of this place.  
  
****** 


	6. Let The Games Begin

Heart of the Cards  
  
******  
  
Chapter Six: "Let the Games Begin"  
  
(Ivy's P.O.V.)  
  
I awoke the next morning in a way that fell short of pleasant.  
  
"Wake UP! WAKE up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, WAKE...UP!"  
  
"Holy shit!" Ebon cried out, performing a half-circle flip in her bed before falling to the floor in a heap of blankets.  
  
I gasped, and a painful jolt of shock ran through my chest. Pawing at it, I rolled over as quickly as I could to identify the source of the rude awakening. It somehow didn't surprise me that it was another card person. This one was rather non-descript, just another unfortunate soul dressed in some weird costume, Water Omotics, from the looks of it.  
  
"Sorry guys and girls, but it's time to report to the training rooms!" she piped cheerily, swishing her long blue hair back over one shoulder. I mentally cringed at how little she was wearing.  
  
"Ugh... training room?" Ebon inquired, rubbing her head and untangling herself from the bedspread.  
  
"Yup!" the girl said, walking over to Will and leaning over, her chest seeming to get in the way. "Yoo-hoo, Red-Eyes! Up and at 'em!"  
  
Will, shockingly, hadn't been alerted by her rude entry. He dozed peacefully, twitching his tail every so often. Blaine followed the girl who threatened to wake up his brother.  
  
"...Let him sleep a bit longer, please." He said in his non-obtrusive voice. "He... doesn't get to rest often. Just a few more minutes, I-I'll wake him up..."  
  
The girl looked over at him uncaringly, and said in a dismissive tone, "Nope, sorry. Orders are orders." And with that, she pushed at Will's head, and said, "Come on cutie! Wake up!!!"  
  
And he did. I think being called "cutie" shocked his brain into consciousness.  
  
"What the..." he muttered, shaking out his head. He turned to look up at the girl, who smiled beamingly down at him. I frowned again.  
  
"Good morning Red-Eyes! Or, should I call you... what was it? Oh yes, Will?"  
  
He blinked, no doubt calculating her, and with one hand still on his head, said, "Will's fine. Who are you?"  
  
"Oh, I'm no one special. But you have to get up to go training, okay?"  
  
I decided then that I didn't like this girl at ALL. I felt exceedingly bad for Will anyway, and it upset me to see this girl treating him like some sort of play thing. It was painfully obvious that she was full-on hitting on him; the way she swiveled her hips suggestively, or swished her hair so that it cascaded down her bare shoulders in a taunting manner.  
  
I heard a snort from behind me, and turned enough to see Ebon glaring daggers at the girls back. With her arms crossed and her head tilted slightly to one side, she emitted waves of a psycho killer. We exchanged a look that agreed that this girl was no good.  
  
"Bye-bye everybody! Doppelganger will be by shortly to lead you all down to the room!" with that, Water Omotics dashed out the door, but not before pecking Will on the cheek. She closed the door half-heartedly, leaving us grumpy, sleep-deprived, and in Ebon's case, furious.  
  
"Who the HELL does that little... think she is!" Ebon growled, apparently lacking in a proper noun for our hostess. She gave Will a pitying look, and, gesturing to his "infected" cheek, said, "Better sanitize that."  
  
Will shook his head out, whether to wake up or recover from shock, I wasn't sure. "Whatever. Let's just... clean up the room or something."  
  
Blaine blinked. "Clean? Will, are you feeling alright?"  
  
Will snapped his head up, offended. "Are you suggesting that I don't help you clean up? I KNOW HOW TO WASH TOWELS!" he crowed in triumph.  
  
Blaine just smiled, and nodded.  
  
***  
  
As it turned out, we didn't have to wait very long for Doppelganger to show up.  
  
"You again?" Ebon exclaimed when the door was flung open again.  
  
It was none other than the "car salesman" from last night, whom had jumped down from the ceiling and insulted us more times than I could count.  
  
"Yup, what did I tell you? You'll be seeing a lot of me around here." He gave me a wink, which I ignored. "So, what say we got going? Madame doesn't enjoy waiting, and she's so very interested in her new cards."  
  
Will growled, and Ebon glared. Blaine did his best frown, which looked like a sad pout, and I just avoided those magenta eyes altogether.  
  
We followed him down the stairs, around a so many corners that I lost track after 31, and across a bridge that seemed to shoot straight down on either side with a drop that looked like the bowels of hell. I wasn't too worried, but still: I hoped these dragon wings were practical, in case the bridge decided to give out.  
  
Ebon, I found, had an extreme fear of heights.  
  
"I am NOT crossing that bridge."  
  
"Hmmm? What's the matter?" I inquired, looking back after I had taken a few steps. Will was bravely forging ahead, followed by Blaine who was so near behind him that he was stepping on his Will's clawed feet with his boots. Doppelganger led us, walking on the knife-thin edge of the side rail with the grace of something feline. Ebon crossed her arms.  
  
"I'll find a different way across."  
  
"Ebon, I... think this is the only route."  
  
"...Maybe not." She tried to sound nonchalant, but I caught the twitch under her left eye.  
  
"Come on, it'll be ok! If anything happens, I'll catch you, ok?"  
  
I could tell that she was about to ask why THAT would help, so I motioned my head to my wings. She looked touched, but doubtful.  
  
"Ivy, do you really think those wings will. support human weight?"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
I looked toward the group; they were about halfway across, and Will turned around and blinked. "Hey, hurry it up!"  
  
"Ok, ok..." Ebon said reluctantly, throwing her arms down in defeat. "I'll go." I smiled reassuringly and walked forward on the bridge. We caught up to Will and Blaine, who waited up. About three-quarters of the way across, I was feeling pretty confident.  
  
And then, the world started to shake up and down.  
  
"Wh-WHOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Ebon shouted in a manner very different from her usual calm/collected demeanor.  
  
"Up and... down, and UP! And... down, and UP!" Doppelganger drawled, jumping lazily on the ropes. The entire bridge swayed in a rubber-band effect, and I began to feel nauseas.  
  
"Hey you bastard! Stop that!" Will grumbled, holding on to the side with one claw and swiping at the offender with the other.  
  
"Whoops! Missed." Doppelganger stated, as he stretched out of the way. He laughed and said, "What's the harm of a little fun? You guys are so uptight." With that, he stepped lithely down from the ropes and turned around. "But enough of that. Let's keep on going, shall we? Almost there."  
  
Blaine stepped shakily past Will, who wanted him off first, and onto solid ground gratefully. I followed, and turned around to help Ebon off. However, Ebon was not right behind me like I thought. She was on the ground, with one hand on the rope siding, and the other on the floorboards.  
  
"Oh, Ebon... it's ok." I said, walking backwards and helping her up.  
  
She was breathing heavily, but aside from that, she didn't show her anxiety beyond stiffness in her back and a pale, staring gaze to the floor. She recovered in a few seconds, and went from alabaster to hot crimson in under three seconds.  
  
"WHY that little SON of a BITCH! I'll have his head on a STICK for that!" She roared, storming off the bridge and past a bewildered Will. I didn't think that he'd been properly exposed to a woman's anger.  
  
"...Whoa."  
  
I couldn't have put it better myself.  
  
***  
  
Well, Doppelganger had been right about one thing; we'd barely made another two turns when,  
  
"We're he-re."  
  
He pushed open a set of large, stone doors (with the air of someone very important) and revealed to us what had to be-  
  
"The biggest damn gym I've EVER seen in my life," muttered Will.  
  
There was everything from your basic weight training machines, to punching bags (all of them well-used), to things I'd never seen before, like a large mote with odd dark forms shifting beneath the surface, and half-hoops of fire. However, the main feature was in the center of the room, four main features to be exact.  
  
"Duel platforms...?" Blaine wondered aloud.  
  
Doppelganger cocked an eyebrow at him. "What were you expecting? Merry-go- rounds?"  
  
Blaine looked disgruntled, but was too busy taking in the sights to care. Enormous lights stretched high to the ceilings, glaring down upon the color- coded rectangles that cards were to lay on. Those "card" slots were obviously for us.  
  
I don't know why, but it didn't sink in until just then, the weight of what these irritating wings and oversized claws meant. I was a Duel Monster. Duel monsters... dueled. Duel monsters could be defeated, and sent to the graveyard, attacked from any angle with daggers, fire blasts, song notes, magic... anything.  
  
We were not safe behind our hands of cards anymore. Now, we were the warriors.  
  
I'd always had strong empathy with my cards. I'd never sent one out as a sacrifice, unless it was absolutely necessary. I didn't like cards like the Black Forest Witch, or Shadow Ghoul, who were only "useful" when it or other cards were sacrificed. I liked cards that I could feel a bond with; cards that were special. They were my well-loved troops, and I was their commander. I'd never lost respect for them. They did all the work; I just told them where to go.  
  
Now things were different. Now I was a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Powerful, yes, but wiped out in an instant by say, a Trap Hole. Ebon and Will were in more danger than I, and Blaine most of all.  
  
I gulped.  
  
"Anxious, Ivy?" Doppelganger half sneered, half sincerely inquired. "Don't fret; you'll have your turn soon."  
  
It was only then that it registered in my brain that the one duel field that was active was currently in use.  
  
On Player One's side, an earth monster, Gaia the Fierce Knight, was rearing into an assault upon his violet steed. Player Two only had one card on the field, Doma the Angel of Silence in attack mode. It was over before I had time to properly gawk. Player Two's life points to negative 500. 'Odd,' I thought. 'They don't stop the count-down at zero...'  
  
The victor breathed a shaky sigh of relief, and stepped down from the platform.  
  
I was more interested in what was happening to Doma, however. He had vanished from the field, in the way that holographic card images vanish during one of those expensive, high-class duels that I never got to participate in. However, he re-appeared on the outside of the platform, crumpled on the floor. Gaia looked away.  
  
"Bravo."  
  
I turned around without really needing to; I recognized the voice as the girl with the lavender eyes, who had dragged us here in the first place. She was clapping mildly, once every three or four seconds, and strolling over to the winner. He was silent, examining the floor.  
  
"You've done well, Gaia. Why so blue?" She gave him a penetrating look, and pushed his armor-clad shoulder in the direction of the exit. "Go on now. Off to your quarters."  
  
Hey muttered something, and took a hold of his horse's reigns. With a sharp tug, he led it out behind him, without so much as a second glance back.  
  
Before addressing us, the girl walked over to Doma, who was moving slightly, to my shock. I had honestly thought he was...  
  
"Get up, you pathetic excuse for a Duel Monster. Kuriboh is more honorable than you are." She kicked him slightly in the ribs, causing him to groan. When he refused to get up, she sighed a long-suffering sigh, and put a hand to her forehead. "Call the medical team..."  
  
"Right away, ma'am." Doppelganger replied, walking to the exit.  
  
Will decided to speak up then.  
  
"What kind of place are you running?! How could you make those people fight like that?!"  
  
"People?" The girl said, and nothing more.  
  
Will was silent for a moment. "Yes, PEOPLE. If you think that we're going to do that, you are SADLY mistaken."  
  
She blinked placidly. "No one can FORCE you to do anything, now can they? It's ultimately up to you what choices you make in your life. I can't manhandle you onto the field and take your hand to make you swipe at your enemy, can I? Red-Eyes, I didn't MAKE those two monsters fight. It was their choice, as it will be yours."  
  
Ebon came to his defense. "Well, in that case, I suppose it's ultimately our choice whether we want to destroy this entire place right now and go home, huh?"  
  
"I suppose so."  
  
"Fine." Ebon lifted her staff decisively to the largest window, and said with conviction, "Dark Magic Attack!"  
  
Her staff did what I can only describe as humming, before shooting out a blast of black energy swirled with light blue light. The force of it knocked Ebon backwards against Will's shoulder, and we all watched as it lanced towards the window, and hit.  
  
I closed my eyes, deciding that broken glass would hurt most if it landed in my eyes, and waited, wings spread.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
Carefully I opened one eye, and peered cautiously at the window.  
  
It was completely intact, not one single scratch. I frowned.  
  
"What kind of place... is this...?"  
  
The girl smiled, no doubt amused. "I probably should have mentioned that your attacks won't work to level these walls. Think of yourselves as holograms, or just as cards," she said. "Effective against one another, in your own world. Useless against me in mine."  
  
I bit my lip hard, until I tasted blood. It was all I could do to keep from screaming in frustration. We were more trapped here than I thought.  
  
"...But wait..." Blaine softly said, speaking up for the first time in a while. "...If we're useless in the physical world... then how come we can still open doors and pick things up? What about non-spell casters, who have superhuman strength or weapons...?"  
  
I blinked at Blaine, surprised. I'd forgotten how insightful he could be.  
  
The girl seemed unpleasantly surprised as well. "Smart, aren't you? Well, you think about that for a while. In the meantime..." She swept a pale arm towards the abandoned Duel platform. "Duel."  
  
Will snorted. "Right. Sure, we'll go do that now." He crossed his arms and lowered his chin, setting his features to automatic 'glare' mode.  
  
Ebon laughed, and crossed her arms as well, although more cockily than indignantly.  
  
I put my hand on Blaine's shoulder. He seemed to shrink beneath my touch, uncomfortable from human contact.  
  
The girl stared for barely a moment. Then, she walked over to Blaine and I.  
  
Turning to Ebon and Will, she said, "I'll give you five very good reason's for obeying me, Dark Magician and Red-Eyes Black Dragon." She put one of her cold, stiff fingers to my throat, and I broke out instantly in goosebumps. Her flesh felt dead.  
  
"One." She continued, gesturing to herself. "I'm quite interested to see how my new additions can battle. Two. You can learn first hand how things work around here."  
  
The color drained from Ebon's face. "And reasons... three and four would be..."  
  
"You're friends' lives." She drew an ivory dagger out of seemingly thin air, and pressed it to my throat. I immediately let go of Blaine, whom I'd been clutching subconsciously, so that he may escape, but she saw this, and hooked an arm around his waist. He struggled and pushed at it, but for all the good it seemed to be doing, he could have been shoving at an iron bar. She pulled back her fingers, and touched the nails to his armor, gashing a hole in it with no effort. It was only then that I took time to notice her hands. They were nothing short of abnormal. Instead of regular, wimpy human fingernails, she had sharpened lead looking cones, which gradually gradated back into flesh as her fingers reached her palms.  
  
"Ivy! Blaine!" Ebon exclaimed. "Why you fu-"  
  
"Do you want your loved ones to suffer? Get on the platform. I don't have all day." All the while her voice remained unchanged.  
  
Will, who had been in shock beforehand, snapped out of it.  
  
"GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF THEM!!!" He all but bellowed, making to leap at our captor's throat.  
  
A flick of her wrist, and suddenly, a thin line of pain shot across my neck. I gasped slightly, and put my fingers up to it. Warm liquid was just pooling, nowhere near enough to drip down my neck. It still hurt, a little.  
  
"IVY!" shouted Ebon.  
  
"Do it now. You don't want them to die, and neither do I. They are quite necessary." I couldn't see her expression, but I had a feeling that the girl was staring mildly off at a wall or something, from the bored way she spoke. As if she had a hundred and ten much more pressing matters to deal with.  
  
"It's alright Ebon, we'll be alright!" I tried to say in my most reassuring voice. It came out instead, slightly strained, and in a tone that said 'I'm not gonna make it, go on without me!'  
  
Ebon's shoulders went from overly tensed to slack. A sinking sensation curdled in my stomach.  
  
"I'll do whatever you want me to."  
  
"No, Ebon! Will," I looked at him pleadingly. HE wouldn't give in, would he?  
  
"Don't hurt them..." He murmured, stepping backward and lifting up his hands in defeat. "I'll do it to."  
  
"No, no Will..." Blaine murmured, his voice muffled from being squeezed too tightly. "Don't fight, Will! You might get hurt, we don't know how things work here..."  
  
Will looked over at his brother with the eyes of someone trying to stay aloft in raging waters. Lost in dull panic, confused, and afraid, deep down. "I can't let her hurt you."  
  
I tugged and pulled, flapped my wings and squirmed. The knife dug deeper into my cut, forcing a bit more blood out, but only enough to make one solitary stream. I could see it now, red staining out onto the white plate of dragon's armor across my chest.  
  
"Stop, Ivy. It's alright, we'll be fine." Ebon said, giving me a thumbs up that was much less convincing than she would have liked. We were just a bundle of false bravado, weren't we?  
  
Blaine lowered his head and moaned. "Please let us go..."  
  
The girl ignored him completely, and led us with two sharp tugs over to the platform. "Well?" she inquired Will and Ebon.  
  
Clutching her staff in her right hand, Ebon moved up onto the field quickly, as if she was trying to do so before she lost her nerve. Will jumped on after her, wings flaring out for a brief second before lowering again. They automatically went to stand on the same side of the field, side- by-side. There was no space for them to stand to be in a deck or a hand of cards.  
  
The girl showed no objections to their immediate battle entering, but had a problem with one other thing.  
  
"Stand on opposite sides. You're not going to be fighting anyone else toady."  
  
"What?!" Ebon snapped, eyes narrowing.  
  
"You heard me. Red-Eyes on one side. Dark Magician on the other. It will be a versus match. You are almost evenly leveled."  
  
Will refused to budge at first. Ebon crossed her arms, and looked about ready to change her mind on the whole dueling thing. However, one look at us persuaded both of them to oblige.  
  
I felt worse than horrible. Ebon had always protected me, even when we were just shy of three years old. She'd been an older sister to me during my parent's divorce, the rock I could stand on when my older brother disappeared. I'd vowed to myself that I would take better care of my life, so she wouldn't have to worry about me so much.  
  
And here I was, my safety forcing her to fight, and perhaps fall, against Will.  
  
And Will... he was already the most paranoid person I knew. He loved his brothers with all his heart and soul, caring for them like a father. They lived with their grandparents, and both Kennie and Blaine were either too young, or too mild-mannered to defend against 'the sins of the world' as Will put it.  
  
I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to hold back the tears. We hadn't even seen Kennie yet, I was so afraid for him. He was so young, so curious and unsuspecting of the conspiracy that seeped from the very floorboards and rafters of this castle. He could be anywhere, with anyone like Doppelganger, or that girl, or the one who now held a stained knife to my throat.  
  
I found myself hoping dearly that he wasn't here with us, that maybe he had gotten lost in the woods back home, and was lost. Cold, hungry maybe, but safe. Safer than he would be here.  
  
"Let me explain the rules."  
  
"We KNOW the goddamned rules to Duel Monsters!" Will snapped.  
  
The girl seethed in irritation briefly, before returning to indifference. "I know that. Why else would I have summoned you here? It's too much trouble to teach new cards how to play the game. I look for experienced players. But that's off-topic. I'm talking about MY rules."  
  
Blaine lifted his head slightly for better listening, and I smiled just a little. Blaine was much smarter than people gave him credit for; I knew that if anyone could think up a flaw to this girl's system, it was he.  
  
"You have a winner, and a loser in Duel Monsters. Regardless. I allow no 'draws'," she continued, shifting slightly, and giving me a fraction of an inch in which to breathe. "By however many life-points you loose by in the end, days are subtracted from your stay here."  
  
"What? Days subtracted from our stay?" I asked, bewildered.  
  
"Yes. You start out with the number of days equal to that of your average beginning life-points in a game of Duel Monsters. 8000."  
  
Silence took us for a moment as we registered this.  
  
"That's... almost 22 years..." muttered Ebon, sitting down hard.  
  
"Get up." She snapped. Then, continuing, she said, "there are two ways to get out of here. One is to wait until your sentence is through. The other," I could tell that she smiled. "... is to win many a duel. Say you defeat your opponent by 500 life points, like our dear friend Gaia did earlier today. That would add 500 days to Doma's sentence, and subtract 500 from Gaia's."  
  
"... So it doesn't matter how many life points you have at the end of a duel, so long as you win?" Ebon asked gruffly.  
  
"Precisely."  
  
"That'll take FOREVER!" Exclaimed Will, getting up. "How many of these stupid games do we get to play each day?"  
  
"One game that counts per month. In here, your ultimate life points aren't affected. However," she said. "When I enter you in a tournament, that is when it truly counts."  
  
"But what if more than one monster is on the field during a win?" I inquired.  
  
"Then the points are subtracted from the two monsters that won and lost the duel."  
  
"And what is the duel is won due to a magic card?"  
  
"Well, I suppose that's just too bad." She shrugged.  
  
"But what about that Doppelganger guy? He's a magic or trap card! He'll never get out?" I said, not really sure why this bothered me at all.  
  
"He chose to come here. Magic and trap card roles are only given to those who wish to stay." The girl seemed to be nearly dazed with boredom. "Let's get on with the duel, you've all been taught the rules. Life points: set. Duel lights: on."  
  
The holographic lights blared on, and in the air, the bland numbers 8-0-0- 0, appeared, slowly.  
  
Ebon seemed to go stiff for a moment, as if unsure whether to go through with it or not. Will just blinked slowly and tried not to implode, from the way he was shaking. They locked eyes with one another, and exchanged an honorable, horribly sad look I couldn't decipher.  
  
"Let the games begin."  
  
****** 


	7. Simple As That

Heart of the Cards  
  
******  
  
Chapter Seven: "Simple As That"  
  
(Will's P.O.V.)  
  
"Let the games begin."  
  
What was my life coming to?  
  
Here I was, a Red-Eyes Black Dragon, about to fight my friend, who was a Dark Magician, in a castle that we'd been trapped in for only a day that seemed like a year. If I won, Ebon lost. If she won, vice versa. She was only 100 points stronger than me in attack; the duel could go either way.  
  
I turned my head to shoot a glare at that... GIRL, sitting there with my brother and Ivy as her hostages. Ivy gave me a brave smile from behind ruffled blonde hair, and mouthed the words, "don't worry about us."  
  
Blaine locked eyes with me and gave me a meaningful look, which said clearly that I should be concerned about my duel, and not their welfare.  
  
There would be hell to pay once this was over.  
  
"Hurry up. I don't have a lot of time." The girl snapped. I resisted the urge to kill her. Ivy spoke up. "But what are they supposed to DO? Why do you even have life points? Isn't this just some kind of gladiator event?! Whoever loses, loses, whoever wins, wins!" She yelled, struggling against the girl's arm.  
  
Blaine hung his head, and anyone who didn't know my brother well would think he was crying. But I could tell what he was doing. Blaine could never think properly unless he was focusing intently on the ground or the sky, and even though this caused him to space out and wander off at times, it was the amazing conclusions that he drew from these periods of time that made his "learning disorder" different from other kids his age. I smirked. Blaine would figure something out, without a doubt.  
  
The girl, in response to Ivy's query, said, "Well, if you don't want life points, that's quite fine. But I had something else in mind." She looked over at the '8000' on my side, and lowered her eyes. Suddenly, a small green gauge appeared by my points. I stared at it.  
  
She did the same to Ebon's side, and said, "Happy? Now with each attack, this gauge will drop, until the life points run out. I think that's fair."  
  
"But that isn't how Duel Monsters works!" Ebon lashed out, pointing at her. "You said that this was a DUEL, not your own little game!"  
  
"And it is. I just changed the rules a bit. Get used to it. Now, Red-Eyes," she said to me. "Try to go into attack mode. All you are doing right now is standing. That's not how you fight. Mentally, prepare for battle. You get into... what was that... ah, yes, "scraps" a lot, don't you? Prepare as if you are about to fist fight. Get your adrenaline running. Physically, stand at the front half of your slot. The red part."  
  
I scowled, mainly because this girl was treating me like I was a five-year- old. As if to prove a point, I stepped calmly to the red zone of my square.  
  
Instantly I felt a surge of heat flare up beneath my skin. It bubbled forth in my veins, shot through my heart, lit me on fire from the inside out!  
  
I lifted one hand and stared at it in a daze. How could simply changing positions feel like this? The heat radiated around my claws, vibrating through the air until I was certain Ebon and Ivy and Blaine, and even the entire population of the castle could feel it, too.  
  
Power.  
  
Raw, superhuman power.  
  
I shook my head out, trying to regain my sense of self. I felt strange; like if I didn't ignore this new feeling, it would eat me whole without mercy.  
  
Ebon looked at me with concern written on her features. With her staff clutched firmly in one hand, and the other balled into a fist at her side, I could tell that she was shaking, even though she tried to hide it.  
  
I wondered if I was shaking too.  
  
"Good job, Red-Eyes. Now, Dark Magician, you to."  
  
I closed my eyes and jerked out of pent up tension as Ebon obeyed reluctantly. Maybe, if we were lucky, this girl would have a lot more to explain.  
  
"Now hurry up. First move goes to Player One."  
  
Yeah right, wishful thinking that this girl would take a long time doing anything. I opened my eyes again, and saw that "Player One" was Ebon.  
  
Shit. This was NOT good. Ebon was stronger than me. Sure, 2500 deducted from 8000 wasn't deadly, but it was still about a third of my life. I'd be down to 5500, and she'd be up at 8000 still.  
  
Still. I would rather Ebon win than I.  
  
Ebon cringed and closed her eyes. "The hell... I can't."  
  
"Do it!" I snapped, surprising everyone, including myself. "The faster we get this over with, the faster we can get out of here."  
  
"Will, I am NOT going to attack you. I...." she said, almost accusingly. Then, she sighed, stepping backward to the blue instead of the red section of her square. "Defense."  
  
I blinked in shock. "What?! Defense?! Ebon, you know better than to do that on your first move! I can wipe you out in a second!"  
  
Ebon leveled her eyes with me stubbornly, and nodded, as if saying, "Your turn, WILL".  
  
I clenched my clawed hands into fists. WHY couldn't she just attack me and get this over with?!  
  
"Fine. I'll go defense as well."  
  
I felt the power flow downward, into the pit of my stomach. It was lessened, subdued, but not by any means gone. It was swimming just below the surface of my skin, waiting patiently to escape.  
  
"Well, isn't this exciting." Said the girl, startling me. I'd gotten so wrapped up in the "duel", that I'd forgotten she was there. "Are you going to insult one another and sit in defense mode all day? Really now, I thought I'd picked SKILLED cards."  
  
I ignored the comment, and smirked, shifting my weight onto one leg to get more comfortable. "Y'know, maybe we ARE. What'cha gonna do 'bout it?"  
  
She smiled coldly, and stood up, yanking Ivy and my brother with her. Blaine was shocked out of his thoughtful revere, and emitted a muffled squeak of protest. Suddenly I wasn't so smug anymore. Did she REALLY have to remind me about the circumstances of this duel?! For god's sake, Blaine was only twelve, just short of thirteen. He shouldn't have to be going through this.  
  
My friend rage consumed me again. "LOOK, we're DUELING, ok?! That's ALL you said to do! So LET THEM GO!!!"  
  
"I'm getting bored. And I can't analyze your skill if all you do is pussy- foot." She tossed Ivy and Blaine, but just as I was about to scream "RUN!", she snapped her clawed fingers and whoops, they were shackled to the walls. Not by chains though... it looked more like thick, liquid black rope, which dripped and stained across their wrists and necks. Ivy cried out in pain, as the viscous liquid was right over the small laceration in her throat. I saw Ebon visibly twitch.  
  
"Now." The girl climbed up onto a part of Ebon's platform that I hadn't noticed before. It looked like an actual place for a human being to play. She flicked her black hair behind one ear, and said "Looks like I'll have to help you two along."  
  
Ebon looked up at her bitterly. "What the hell are you doing? You really think I'm gonna listen to YOU?!"  
  
I scoffed. "What about our deal, huh?"  
  
She looked unamused. "MY idea of a duel, Red-Eyes, is one where there is a winner, and a loser. And it's quite apparent that if I leave it up to you two, that isn't going to happen."  
  
"How the hell do YOU know?!" Ebon yelled, pointing at her. I inwardly cringed; Ebon may have a bad temper, but she was pathetic at threats and snappy comebacks.  
  
The girl laughed, for the first time, and I swear it sounded like shattering glass or wind chimes. "Don't try that. It was painfully obvious." Suddenly, all mirth dropped out of her features. "Now, Dark Magician. attack Red-Eyes."  
  
Ebon looked humored, and lifted an eyebrow. "What do I do? Punch him?" I laughed.  
  
The girl lifted her hand, and clutched it into a fist, palm down, the way I did when I was holding a candy for Kennie, but he had to guess which hand it was in first.  
  
Ebon's eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth ever so slightly. Then, she jerked suddenly. The girl looked unamused, and swished her outstretched hand in a half circle.  
  
Ebon spun around to face me, and I took a few steps backwards. I didn't like the way she was looking at me. At ALL. It was the same look she gave me whenever we dueled. Competitive, but with a smirk that showed how much she loved a good fight. And it was also the way she looked right before she would play one of her devastators, like Dark Hole or Raigeki. The glint in her eye was almost malicious this time, though.  
  
"Ebon? What's going on." I asked firmly, putting a hand out to wave in front of her face. My brow furrowed in worry.  
  
"D-Die!" She shouted, suddenly stepping backwards. Before I could react, she drew back her hand and shoved it, palm open, fingers spread, at me.  
  
I hadn't even seen the way she was clutching her staff. Mentally cussing myself out, I thought 'Dark Magic Attack...' an instant before it hit. I expected to feel heat, but on the contrary, it was cold. Devastatingly cold. So cold that it forced the air from my lungs. I doubled over and crumpled to my knees, although I wasn't sure why. It didn't hurt, did it? Had I just lost my balance?  
  
I looked down at my chest, the place where the blast had hit. Dead center. If that had been like a ray gun, or something, I would be dead. I had a nano-second to ponder that.  
  
And THEN, it hit me.  
  
Pain! White hot, shooting, searing pain! Not cutting my skin, but seeping THROUGH my skin, through my skin and right into the core of my being. Slashing my internal organs, ripping up my straining heart, a whirlwind through my insides.  
  
Only then did it break the skin, a gash appearing, and then a hole the size of my human palm. It didn't go all the way through me, but it was big enough, messy, like a ditch dug out in my flesh. Blackish red blood gathered around it, and I shakily lifted one hand to push at it, in hopes that I could stop the blood flow from dripping out of my cracked black armor plate.  
  
"A-a-"  
  
"That's what you get, Red-Eyes. If you go soft, you will die. Simple as that."  
  
The girl I could only just make out through blurred vision. She had one hand still positioned like that. The position looked so familiar, but my fuzzy brain could have cared less. I winced and closed my eyes. Somewhere from very far away, I heard Ivy and Blaine calling out my name.  
  
"Well, Red-Eyes. Your HP won't drop, seeing as you were in defense mode. But really, shouldn't you attack now? Before you're mortal soul can't handle the pain?"  
  
I shakily stood up, fighting the urge to scream and curl up on the ground. "Y-You... aggh...... you f-fucking bi-tch.!"  
  
Ebon regarded me with the shocked, yet pleased eyes she wore whenever I managed to survive the card that she was sure would take me out. I growled, slightly.  
  
"E-bon, what the... hell was that for?"  
  
"F-Fight me, Will...!" She said, strained. I frowned, getting used to having a gaping hole in my chest, sadly enough. I still felt like I could drop dead at any moment, but the confusion and raw anger I felt kept me on my feet. Why the hell would she...  
  
The girl. Her hand.  
  
Wait...  
  
Then I realized it. How could I have been so stupid?!  
  
A puppet! That's what it looked like, it looked like that girl was holding the strings of a puppet! That girl had attacked me, not Ebon. She had a vice grip around Ebon's mind. "You bitch! Uggh... you-you're controlling her, ar-en't you...?!"  
  
"Controlling. Hmmm... maybe. But if she had a strong enough will, I think she would have broken free by now."  
  
I scowled. "That's not... true. And y-you ch-cheat-ed... Now FUCK OFF," I paused to hack at a warm liquid in my throat. Blood, I realized with a start. "... and let us... go..."  
  
"Are you going to attack, or what? Red-Eyes?"  
  
I glared up at her, weakly. "N-no. I will not."  
  
Ebon lifted her hand, and I cringed away, but she was only charging up the next attack. It was still my turn, but what was I supposed to do?! I couldn't attack, it's not like it was Ebon's fault. But then, if I refused to fight, I would die. Either way, there would be pain.  
  
I swear the girl could sense my inner dilemma. "I think I can help you decide, Red-Eyes. Just take a look over there." She gestured calmly with her puppeteer hand to Ivy and Blaine, and Ebon consequently pointed there to. I slowly looked over.  
  
And almost screamed. Ivy was crying, tears streaming from her eyes as she tried desperately to claw away the gunk at her neck. She had pulled her hands away from the wall, but a thick string of gluey substance still linked her to it, wrapping around her wrists. No matter how much she clawed at it, it oozed back into place.  
  
Whatever it was, it was hurting her. Blaine wasn't struggling, he was down for the count. My brother was laying still up against the wall, head lolling on his right shoulder, as the ooze began to form a case around his legs.  
  
I understood suddenly. It was going to smother them alive!  
  
"NO! STOP IT, LET THEM GO!!!" I shouted, ignoring the rip I felt in my throat from straining myself. "How DARE you!!!"  
  
She blinked, rather impatiently, but concerned as well. In a detached way. "You shouldn't yell like that with your injuries. I've said before, I won't kill them. Their deaths would be quite useless, really. And I hate that. Just finish the duel, and I'll even promise you that Dark Magician nor you will die. This can be so painless, if only you'll cooperate."  
  
I closed my eyes in pain, physical and otherwise. There really... WASN'T any other way, was there?  
  
"Fine." I said. Stepping as quickly as I could back into the red zone. "I attack."  
  
The power pushed up at my weak resistance, and exploded out of me. Simply exploded. I'd burst and yelled before, I'd broken down and cried, but nothing was compared to this. Through my arms, in my neck, burning in my wound, down through my legs and into the tip of the unfamiliar tail. I pulsated. I felt like I was lost in a dream as I stretched my arm back and formed a ball of red energy. In fact, I didn't even realize that I let go until...  
  
"Unn-!!!" My eyes snapped open, and the power vanished. I swayed on the spot and fell to my knees. Looking up, I saw Ebon pressed up against the platform, eyes clenched shut. She was unharmed, for the most part, but a large series of burns and cracks were present along her stomach armor. Her arms were singed, no doubt from crossing them in front of her to lessen the attack. A scratch across her cheek, blood running from a wound on her left forearm, and a bruise forming from her collision with the stand. My mouth dropped open.  
  
"E-bon...?" for a second, I didn't even realize what was going on.  
  
"Good job, Red-Eyes. I've decided to call this duel to an end. You've both fought admirably. I commend you. Not many would be able to attack their friend."  
  
She stepped off of the platform, and walked calmly over to Blaine and Ivy. Bending down and touching a hand to the black liquid, she caused it to shrink in mass until it was no more than a small drop of tar the size of a marble. Slipping it into a pouch at her side, she stood up.  
  
Ivy groaned and gasped, and Blaine moaned slightly, coming to.  
  
It was all over in a second, and the girl was gone.  
  
Ebon tilted backwards, until her back hit the stand. She sank to the ground, eyes fluttering in dazed confusion. I tried to ask her if she was ok, but lost strength halfway there. A form, Ivy, I thought, her outstretched hand as she ran to us on the platform, and Blaine's voice weakly calling out "Will!" were the last things I registered before the world spun out of control in gray and crashed into black. 


	8. Don't Angst So Much, You're Giving Me a ...

Heart of the Cards  
  
******  
  
Chapter Eight: "Don't Angst So Much, You're Giving Me a Headache"  
  
(Ebon's P.O.V.)  
  
I pounded my fist into the bed for the umpteenth time since we'd brought Will back up to the room. Ivy had requested that I stop barraging the door and walls, since it made too much noise. And hell, I didn't want to wake Will up. Poor guy had been through hell already. It was the least I could do.  
  
I slammed the pillow again, though. If I hadn't hated her before, I hated her now. That girl was only on my nerves before; now, she was on my hit list. How DARE she actually manipulate my mind, into hurting one of my friends?!  
  
Groaning, I slumped against the wall. Ivy wasn't in right now, and neither was Blaine, come to think of it. Blaine had gone out walking a while back, but he wasn't back yet.  
  
That left Will and me alone in the room.  
  
He was unconscious, and yet I still felt uncomfortable. I almost wished that he'd be mad as hell at me when he woke up. I deserved it. Ivy told me everything I missed during my spell of control, and I only agreed with one thing she'd said.  
  
"... if she had a strong enough will, I think she would have broken free by now..." I repeated in bitter hate. 'Strong enough will'... but maybe she was right.  
  
I winced as the wind blew at the cuts on up my forearm. I wasn't any masochist, but I was damn glad that Will got a hit in on me, too. It was fairer that way.  
  
Still. I'd beaten the shit out of him.  
  
I glanced over at him. He looked peaceful enough, muttering. He was regular sleeping, and not in a coma, by some grace of whoever was up there in the sky. It had to be that the Red-Eyes DNA, or something enhanced him. If he wasn't... well, I didn't want to think about that.  
  
I walked over to his bed and tucked him in, even though he'd just kicked them off. His wounds were healing alright, but he wouldn't be able to get out of bed for at LEAST a week. If that short.  
  
I snorted to myself; that would piss him off a LOT. Will was always the type that had to be up and about.  
  
Come to think of it, I'd known Will for a while. We'd never really talked, seeing as boys and girls hung out in their own specific gender groups in the 3rd grade, but I'd see him around. Playing Duel Monsters (and kicking butt), talking to Blaine, who was about four years younger than him, and still in preschool. Blaine had flunked out of a lot of his grades. It wasn't like he was stupid; he just learned differently.  
  
Will always had a short temper. He's yell and curse at the other kids who got to close to his brothers, and leap animatedly on the other boys, punching their faces in whenever they insulted his broken family.  
  
I'd felt bad for him, but I was shy bordering on antisocial. I didn't want to go talk to him.  
  
Ivy had been my best friend since we were two, and remained my one and only friend all throughout my life, until now. And she and I were sixteen now.  
  
In all honesty, the four of us wouldn't even BE here together by free will. Ivy didn't get along with Will too well, and I didn't get along well with either Will or Blaine. Will didn't much like Ivy, or me and Blaine was shy towards everyone. But all of these were subdued, not dynamic at all. We all cared for one another, though it went unspoken.  
  
I heard a groan, and nearly screamed like a little girl.  
  
Will was coming to, slowly. He rolled over, kicked the covers off, buried his face in the pillow, muttered "... ouch..." and sighed heavily, all before he opened his eyes. "... Unnnhh...?"  
  
"'Unnnhh' to you to." I said, hopping off the bed and checking his temperature. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Like shit."  
  
"Ahhh."  
  
We were quiet. Will closed his eyes for a few moments, and I thought maybe he'd drifted back off to sleep.  
  
"... Listen, about ... about the duel. I'm... I'm sorry."  
  
He opened one eye and looked over. "No, it's not your fault." Suddenly, anger re-flared in his eyes, like a torch that had been re-lit. With gasoline. "It's HER fault. SHE was the one attacking me, not you. If anything, I should... I mean, I attacked you out of my own free will..."  
  
I sighed. "No, I'm glad you did. You had to... besides, I think I did a bit more damage..." I grinned sheepishly.  
  
"Oh, sure, RUB IT IN, eh?" He grumbled, yawning and shifting.  
  
"Still... I could have done SOMEthing... I could have-"  
  
"Don't angst so much, you're giving me a headache." Will muttered, sedated again. He yawned and rolled over, facing the empty bed next to him. I could actually SEE him tensing. "Where's Blaine?"  
  
I felt a pang of pity for the tone of panic in his voice, and before I could be all though, I put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it. "Don't worry, he just went walking with Ivy."  
  
"Oh. Okay, as long as he's with someone..." he muttered. I felt a twinge of guilt, that wasn't completely the truth. Blaine and Ivy were both out, I just hoped that they found each other.  
  
"So Will, do you think... Will?" I peered at him.  
  
Sound asleep. I laughed slightly and rolled my eyes. I re-tucked him and threw myself down on my own bed. Poor guy; he'd only stayed awake long enough to find out where his brother was. Now, he'd probably be out for another five days or so.  
  
I closed my eyes and groaned. I was aching, really, but it just felt like I'd gotten into a bike accident. Will probably felt like he'd been hit by a bus.  
  
I looked out the window at the stars. Amazing, that there were STARS here at night. The sky in the daytime was so abnormal, either shadowy or teal, depending on whether we were out of the girl's home or not. Yet, at night, things seemed almost like they were at home.  
  
Home. I groaned at the thought. What I wouldn't give for a shower? And some of Dad's cooking.  
  
Well, Will was alright; that was really all I had been staying awake to see. I closed my eyes and let myself drift, hoping in the back of my mind that Ivy would get back soon with Blaine...  
  
And then the door flew open.  
  
***  
  
{A/N: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
A. a cliffhanger,  
  
B. INCONSISTENCYYYYY!!!!!  
  
Dammitdammitdammit! I'm more upset about B than I am A. I'm gonna have to work my butt off to even out the flow between these two versions. At the rate I'm going, the stories gonna fork off and have two totally alternate endings, just because Ebon is a boy in one and a girl in the other!!! WHYYYYYYYYYY???!!!  
  
Oh well... it's not the end of the world. And I DID steal the line about a Blaine from a commercial. I LOVE THAT DAMN COMMERCIAL!!! (sobs) o.O ( I love that face. That one, and ( O_O are my favorites.. @.@  
  
I'm sooooo tired, I think I'm gonna die. It is almost 2:45 right now, (a.m., that is) and I WANTED TO SLEEP THIS WEEKEND!!! Nooooo! Wanna hear grown-up Will's voice??? SURE ya do! Just go and listen to "To Where You Are" by Josh Groban. (Did I spell that right?) And Doppelganger sounds like ... grown up Simba... in "Hakuna Matata"... I think...?? (Yes, I will STEAL all the good male voices!!! EYAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!)  
  
@.X Don't mess w/ me, I have a bottle of cucumber shampoo, you stupid song titles...  
  
I gotta sleep, I'm ruining my generally sane reputation here...  
  
I shall see you again someday, dear readers. Someday...  
  
~Demon, the EXTREMELLY SLEEP DEPRIVED AND DEMENTED~} 


	9. You're Too Smart

Heart of the Cards  
  
******  
  
Chapter Nine: "You're Too Smart"  
  
(Blaine's P.O.V.)  
  
I tucked Will in a little tighter, pushing his hair out of his eyes. I always liked Will's hair. It wasn't thin and damaged like mine, but it wasn't thick and oily either. The only thing I didn't like about it right now, was that it was stained with blood.  
  
I didn't try to stop from crying when we helped Ebon and carried Will back up to the room after their battle. I didn't try to stop crying when we cleaned the blood from around Will's wound and saw how deep the damage sustained had been. And I didn't try to stop crying now.  
  
My brother wasn't a bad person. He was just rough sometimes. And sometimes he yelled when he lost his temper, but he was only angry when he felt like he was going to lose Kennie or me. Just like we lost our parents....  
  
Ivy wasn't asleep either, even though she said it was 1:00 in the morning. She was talking to Ebon, who had been slamming her fists into the walls. Ebon felt that it was all her fault what had happened to Will. He had been injured far worse, probably because Ebon had released her full power on Will, because she was being controlled at the time. Whereas Will held back a lot.  
  
This wasn't Ebon's fault, or my brother's fault. I would have liked to say that it was that girl's fault, but I don't know that. She could be a good person, inside.  
  
But she did hurt my brother.  
  
I closed my eyes and kept them like that. I was tired, but I couldn't go to sleep until Will woke up. He took care of me, so now I would return the favor.  
  
Ivy said that it was sweet of me to do that. I like Ivy... she's nice, and reminds me of my Mom, a little. My Mom was pretty. She had blonde hair and green eyes too, and pale skin. I missed her a lot.  
  
I looked around, suddenly scared. I didn't know where I was. It looked different, dark.  
  
Then I realized that I must have sneak-wandered out of the room and down the hall. I hated it when I did that. It made Will mad, and deep down, scared. I could see it in his eyes whenever he'd find me far away from where I said I would be.  
  
It was dark, but I could see something orange glowing up ahead. Orange. The color of adrenaline and physical energy. The color of the sun, and oranges with vitamin C. My health teacher thought I wouldn't remember that, about oranges and the sun. But I remembered. I just didn't think she'd believe me if I said I would.  
  
The orange thing turned out to be a glowing energy orb. I stared at it; it wasn't too bright or anything. And maybe I could figure out its properties.  
  
"Wandering around, kiddo?"  
  
"Aah!" I exclaimed, freezing up. I didn't recognize that voice. I looked over to the left, blinking as my eyes got adjusted to the darkness again.  
  
It was Doppelganger, wearing dark green. The color of desire, just a shade lighter than jealousy, which was light green. Like grass. From "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence..."  
  
I shook my head, trying not to zone out. "... Hi."  
  
"Hello. What are you doing out so late? Madame could have your head on a stick." He made a threatening gesture, slashing a finger across his throat. Severing my thoughts from the rest of my body. My mind. That would be okay by me. My thoughts were not important like my soul.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be."  
  
I blinked. I didn't like having fast conversations. I could never keep up. "Should I go back to the room now?"  
  
"Sure, if you want to. Or, you could come with me. I've got nothing better to do, and it looks like you don't either." He put his hands in his pockets, and I felt bad for him. When you put your hands in your pockets, you're afraid to show your actions, intentions, identity, and destiny to the person you're talking to.  
  
He'd been badly hurt in the past. I could tell.  
  
I thought about going with him, but if Will woke up while I was gone, he'd be afraid again. I didn't want to stress him out any more.  
  
"Maybe I should go back home-- I mean, to our room... I have to be there for Will..."  
  
Doppelganger looked uninterested. "Ok. Fine by me, it's a free country." He turned around and started walking down the hallway.  
  
"Wait...!"  
  
He stopped. I ran to catch up. He was fast. "I'll come with you if you're lonely."  
  
He looked tweaked. "I don't get lonely, kid. So, wanna tour of the castle? I'm just doing night guard duty, even though it's not like anyone can get outta here..." He yawned and stretched, taking his hands out of his pockets. I was glad of it. I can't talk to people if they're hands are hidden, or if they're not looking at me.  
  
"Ok."  
  
We set off walking, and I had to take two steps for each of his. He was above fast, he was a strider. Striders wanted freedom, and strong personality. They liked to strike poses, too.  
  
We came to a door. It was silver. Grey, basically, but flashy gray. I couldn't tell if it was light or dark gray. If it was light, it would be the feelings of being alone and at peace. If it was dark, it would be the feelings of being alone and hostile about it.  
  
My favorite color was light gray.  
  
"Right this way."  
  
I followed him through the door, and as I did, I analyzed him. His skin was an unnatural shade of black, which meant that he was lost. I felt sad for him, he was really troubled. His eyes were red and pink, which meant love, passion, anger, and the off-truth, in other words, lies. His hair was blonde like mine, except it was darker. Deep happiness, with just a touch of the negative forces of the physical, but also the glory of it.  
  
He was hiding a lot.  
  
We stopped, and I didn't notice until I bumped into him.  
  
"I'm sorry... where are we?!"  
  
Doppelganger laughed and shoved me. I squeaked, (although I'm ashamed to admit it, that's exactly what it sounded like) and almost toppled to the floor.  
  
We were on the roof.  
  
I immediately looked up to the sky. The sky at night is beautiful. Vast freedom through being adrift in loneliness, but dotted with the purest, whitest forms of truth.  
  
I loved nighttime.  
  
Doppelganger motioned for me to sit. I did, and he sat down next to me.  
  
"So, how long ca I keep you out?"  
  
"... Until Will wakes up." I said, smiling a little. I missed Will a lot, even though I'd only been gone for twenty minutes.  
  
"Oh, that's a lot of help, kid. I'll get you back there soon." He winked, and smirked, but not meanly. I looked back up at the sky.  
  
After a silence, he said, "Madame takes quite and interest in you, you know."  
  
"... Me?" I asked. That surprised me. I was just thirteen, not very strong being a Celtic Guardian, and quiet. I wasn't like Will at all, although sometimes I wanted to be.  
  
"Yup. You're a threat to her, you know. You're too smart."  
  
I smiled and almost laughed. No one had ever said I was too smart. I liked it here a little; I could be the kind of smart that I was, without having to learn from textbooks about the Earth, which wouldn't help me at all in my next life.  
  
Doppelganger smiled at my reaction. He probably had night vision. It was too dark to see much of anything.  
  
Except the stars. You could always see the truth.  
  
"You're gonna bring her down, aren't ya? I don't doubt it." It was hard to determine how he felt about that. He wasn't close to her, but he wasn't close to us either. He was nonchalantly in between, not a traitor, but not totally loyal either.  
  
"... I don't want to cause trouble, but I want to learn things about here..."  
  
"Really? Well, that's new. You're new, basically. EVERYONE wants to cause trouble, SOMETIMES. Even me!" He laughed, as if this was absurd. "But seriously. Watch yourself. You're just a kid, I don't like hurting kids. But Madame has no prob with that."  
  
"... I'll be careful." I said, looking down instead of at the sky.  
  
Doppelganger sprawled out a bit, getting comfy. I guess I envied him. He looked like he could get comfortable anywhere. I was never eased in my body. If I was, I might get too attached to it, and have trouble when I departed it eventually.  
  
"What's on your mind."  
  
It wasn't a question, but it wasn't a demand. I liked that, it was just the way I liked to be asked things. "A lot. I... I mostly think about things I have learned, and things I want to learn..."  
  
"Teach me."  
  
"About what? I... I can tell you about colors...?" I said, blushing. Even I could tell that that sounded meek and lame.  
  
"For real? Shoot. Go 'head." Doppelganger said, giving me full attention. That was rare in itself. People usually got mad at me for taking too long to answer them, and lost interest. What was also weird was that I could tell that Doppelganger wasn't a patient person. I wondered vaguely why he was being nice to me.  
  
"Ok..." I shifted a little. "Red... is the color of passion, but also anger and life. Most of all, it's life. Blood isn't bad, you know. People think blood is death, but blood is actually life."  
  
"I agree."  
  
"Orange is... well, orange is energy. Physical energy. Like adrenaline and chamicals. It's... good for the time being, but might hurt your soul, a little. Yellow is happiness, but dark yellow or gold is glory. Light green is envy, but dark green is desire. Light blue is tranquility or peace, and dark blue is almost the same, it's depth and knowledge. Purple is mystery."  
  
"Mmm hmm."  
  
"... Pink could be one of two things... love, or lies.... And that's because white is the truth. So pink can be truth combined with life to make your love, or truth blended with the bad side of life, which stains it. I'd like to think it's love..."  
  
"Me, too. But hey, that's probably because it's my eyes."  
  
"... Your eyes are different. They're mystery mixed with love."  
  
"Sounds about accurate." Doppelganger smiled, and got up. "You're smart. Too smart."  
  
I didn't laugh or make a pleased sound. I waited for him to continue, because I could tell he didn't mean that that was a good thing.  
  
"She'll get you, if you don't REALLY watch your back."  
  
I looked down, and then up at him. I didn't like looking at people usually, but I thought it appropriate. "Why are you worried...?"  
  
He was quiet, for a very long time.  
  
"I dunno. I guess you remind me of someone." He shook his head and chuckled. Then, quite suddenly, he said, "You know it already, don't you?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You know what the flaw in Madame's plan it. You know, the hole in the fishnet. The missing gear in the factory. The weak link of the chain. The one thing that'll bring it all crashing down."  
  
"N-No...?"  
  
He looked surprised, but laughed. "Really? I thought you'd have it by now."  
  
I would have been upset, but I didn't feel like getting mad. "Not yet."  
  
"GOOD. Thank ye gods. If you got it, you'd be dead right now." He was in front of me suddenly, and put his hand on my shoulder. "DON'T, okay? Just... don't. If you do, you'll sorely regret it. And I mean that. Just forget about the whole thing, and serve out your years, okay? It won't be so bad."  
  
"But... we have to leave... Grandma and Grandpa will be... worried."  
  
"Let 'em worry. Better you guys come back really, really late than not come back at all, right?" He was squeezing my forearm, and it hurt a little.  
  
"Could you let go? Please?"  
  
He seemed surprised, and let go. I didn't reach up fix my shoulder armor that had gone a little astray. That would imply that he'd made something wrong just my putting his destiny and identity there, and I didn't want him to think that.  
  
Suddenly, there wasn't any ground.  
  
I didn't even have time to react, before I felt a hand grab the back of my cape and yank me back on to the roof.  
  
"Unn!!" I scrambled away from the edge and bumped into Doppelganger's foot. He peered down at me, and said "Wow. That was extremely close, eh? You could have been a waffle. Best watch where you step, but hey, it was mostly my fault. Sorry, kid."  
  
I slowed the flow of adrenaline in me and calmed my breathing. I nodded to say I was okay, and got up. He laughed, and scooped me over one shoulder. "I think I'll do the honors. There's ton's more open air out here than roof."  
  
I didn't object, but his shoulder was digging into my stomach. I wasn't worried that he would drop me off the edge of take me somewhere bad, like the girl's quarters. I knew that he could be trusted.  
  
I only then realized how tired I was. It was comforting, feeling the motions of someone walking, carrying me the way Dad did. I yawned once, and closed my eyes.  
  
******  
  
{A/N: Holy shit, Doppleganger really DOES sound like a child molestor in this chapter. Jesus H. X__X Just to clarify, he's not. Yaaay.} 


	10. What You Can, And Will Do About It

"C-Casey?!" I all but shouted, tripping over my... well, feet, and falling on my butt.  
  
"Eby! I knew I'd find you here! I followed your musk." She joked, striding across the room to wrap me in a ferocious hug. The breath was crushed out of me, as she nearly pulled my head off standing upright, seeing as I was still on the ground and she had a death grip on me. But it was Casey! Here she was, in the flesh and blood, of all the strange places to be.  
  
I pulled away and scrambled to my feet. "What the hell...?!"  
  
"I know, weird huh? My lil' cous, I missed you! Why didn't you ever write?!" She questioned, slapping me (hard) on the back, and almost sending me to the floor again. Then again, you could have knocked me over with a feather at that point.  
  
"What are you-"  
  
"Same thing you're doing here! Cussing and fighting and plotting murder and all that other funstuff!"  
  
I shook my head out in utter confusion. This didn't make sense at all, and yet I somehow sensed that this OUGHT to come as no surprise to me.  
  
Ok, Ebon: brainstorm time.  
  
Fact: The girl who obviously runs this place is in search of only elite or very talented Duel Monster players to bring here.  
  
Conclusion Fact: My cousin Casey was the regional champ where she comes from, and can even kick MY ass sometimes.  
  
Fact: Laws of the human nature say that it would be easier to take people who are related to one another for many reasons. A) It causes the theory that maybe said family members ran off together, B) It keeps the disappearances at minimum spread, and C) Talent in this game MAY be arguably genetic.  
  
Final Conclusion? I should NOT be surprised.  
  
"Yo? Ebbbyyy?" A hand in front of my face. I snapped out of it.  
  
"Heh? Oh, sorry, Case. Zoned out..." I shook my head, and got down to the nitty-gritty. "How long have you BEEN here, anyway?" I asked in incredulism.  
  
"Ahh, about three weeks or summat." This shocked me. If my cousin had been missing for nearly a month, why hadn't her mother told mine?  
  
She took one look at my no doubt baffled expression and retorted smugly, "I know what you're gonna say, so don't say it. Mama's not expecting me home for 'least another week. I'm supposed to be at a camp, ya know."  
  
"Oh..." That still didn't explain everything, but I dropped it. "I can't believe it's really you. I mean, I can't believe you're HERE- ."  
  
"Yeah! Go figure, eh? And we make quite the pair, huh?"  
  
I only then realized that while I was burdened as a Dark Magician, she was inexplicably dressed as none other than the Dark Magician Girl. She had her headdress tucked lazily under one arm and was fanning herself with the other, sweating from the heat I knew that kind of armor generated, but looking like she had grown slightly used to it. Which was more than I could say for myself. Her staff was hooked at her left hip, tied with some kind of cloth that I recognized as part of a bed sheet. Good idea, actually.  
  
Suddenly, I was being mercilessly noogied. In under two seconds, she'd pounced me, shoved my head down so I lost my balance, hooked one of her unreasonably muscular arms around my neck and attacked my less-than-clean hair with her fist.  
  
"Ack! Aggh, stop it, Casey, I mean it, I- OW! HEY!!" I sputtered uselessly, struggling and pushing against her arm with the best of my efforts. It could be likened to a mouse swatting at an anaconda with it's little furry paws.  
  
"Heh heh heh! Didn't get much EXERCISE while I was gone, I see! Little one, have I taught you NOTHING?!" She laughed evilly again, and shoved me across the room. I lost my balance (for the umpteenth time that night) and fell straight backward onto a bed, which, unfortunately, Will was inhabiting.  
  
"Oof!" came the muffled protest from under the mountain or blankets, (which he'd decided to accept after all).  
  
"Agh, sorry Will!" I said hastily, rolling off. I'd forgotten how far it was to the ground, though, and fell with a resounding thud.  
  
"Unnnn..."  
  
"Did anyone get the license number of that truck...?" Will groaned, cracking open an eye with a whole lot of effort. I sat up, with bruised backside and dignity, sending a venomous glares at the trouble-making imp that was my cousin. She was, of course, doubled over in laughter.  
  
"... Who are you?" Will asked, turning his head to one side to look at Casey with his classic "I-am-Will-hear-me-roar,-suspicious-of-you" look.  
  
"Casey, man! Sorry 'bout that; I shouldn't have unleashed the horrors of Eby upon thee!" She said, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes.  
  
Will didn't snort or mention it, but I saw his eyebrow cock upward at the mention of my nickname. I closed my eyes in utter, complete humiliation. Ooh... when I'd get my hands on her...  
  
Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Will grunted something that sounded vaguely like, "H'llo," and rolled over.  
  
Casey smirked a little, looking at the already-asleep bundle. "Heeey, score Eby! He's cyuuute." She grinned, winking at me. I'm pretty sure my face turned twelve shades of beet red.  
  
"Wh-Wha?" I sputtered, then I hiss-shouted under my breath, "What the HELL does THAT imply?!" Well, now Will had BETTER be asleep...  
  
Casey grinned mischievously and began prancing around, black hair bouncing in a rather comical way. "Eby has a boyfriend, Eby has a BOYFRIEND,"  
  
"Shuddup!" I growled, leaping at her back and smacking her head.  
  
"Aiiii! AIIII!" she shouted, mock-girl fighting me. After about forty pawing slaps, she stopped. Now, I was red for an entirely different reason. For a supposedly wimpy imitation of a fight, Casey still smacked pretty damned hard. I sighed testily.  
  
"Aww, Eby... you're all grimy and stuff! Do you guys know where the showers are?" she asked me, grinning.  
  
That got my attention. "Showers? They have frickin' SHOWERS here?!"  
  
"Of COURSE!" She exclaimed, running a hand through her hair, which was slightly damp. I hadn't realized that before. "I don't stink, do I? And I've been here for longer than you."  
  
I groaned. "Okay; What do I have to do to get you to tell me where they are?"  
  
Casey looked appalled. "What ever do you mean by that?" she said, resting a hand to her heart, giving me an exaggerated hurt look, which morphed into a (in my opinion) INCREDIBLY sadistic smile. "All you have to do is confess to Will your undying love."  
  
I rolled my eyes. I sort of had a feeling it would be along the lines of that. "Noooo, thank you," I drawled. "I think I'd rather rot in disease and famine."  
  
Casey laughed heartily (Will must have been REALLY tired, she was making a TON of noise...) and slapped me on the back, where I was already sore. "Just kidding, cous. Down the hall and to the right." She paused then, frowning. I had no idea why until I saw that her eyes had drifted over to the door, which I had my back to.  
  
I spun around on reflex, only to be greeted with the sight of "That Girl" standing in the doorway, leaning up against the frame and observing us.  
  
"I see you've located your cousin," she stated. "It's really about time."  
  
Casey frowned even more, the expression looking out-of-place on her tanned and easy-going features. "Stuff it. You planned this, didn't you?" she asked, not amused.  
  
"Maybe, maybe not. But there's no need to get defensive; I merely came here to check on the RESIDENTS of this room."  
  
She way she said "residents" clearly meant that Casey, not rooming here, was excused.  
  
Casey snorted and with an all-mightily eye roll and a wink in my direction, strolled out the door, leaving me and the other alone in the room.  
  
The girl regarded me with an odd expression, like she was looking at me through mirrored glass, and I couldn't see her in return. Now it was m turn to frown; I hated people staring at me. "What?" I asked curtly.  
  
"How are your injuries?" she asked with a small measure of interest, finally seeming to realize that she was having a conversation, not a scientific observation.  
  
"I'M just FINE," I spat. "... It's WILL who got it worse."  
  
Her eyes half-lidded. "... And that is my fault how? I don't think I was the one holding the staff..."  
  
I snapped. "You may as WELL have been! How can you actually believe that?! YOU were controlling me!" Where this sudden spurt of anger came from, I had no idea. Usually, I was so level-headed... I rarely ever lost it like this.  
  
She seemed to see this as well, and voiced it. "Now, now; calm down. Wouldn't want to end up like your friend, would you?"  
  
I closed my eyes in hatred, shaking. Now would not be a good time to get injured. Someone had to take care of Will while Ivy and Blaine were gone; I couldn't be lying in a pool of blood when they came back. "Just shut up. We'll be just FINE, no thanks to you."  
  
"Very well." She said, turning to leave. However, she paused, and turned her head back to face her profile to me. "Oh, and by the way... you have practice again tomorrow. Best get some sleep, it's quite late."  
  
"PRACTICE?" I half-shouted, half simply emphasized. Damn it, just when I was calming down, too... "Not ALL of us...?"  
  
"Yes, all of you. Why would you think otherwise? I mean, you DID just say that you would be fine, right....?" She cocked an eyebrow to me, skeptical.  
  
"Wh-What, no, no I meant that..." I stammered uselessly.  
  
"Very well then. I'll see you all there, at five o' clock sharp." She took a few steps out the door and down the hall. I heard her voice ring out, "And don't be late."  
  
I waited until she was a good distance away and out of earshot before I flung myself down full force onto my bed and shouted into the mattress, so as not to wake up Will.  
  
How the HELL was I supposed to know that her obviously "desinged-for- provokation" question was a possible outlet to get out of "practice?" Groaning loudly and returning to my old pastime of punching the pillows in, I released every murderous tendency I had in a matter of three minutes.  
  
Done and exhausted, I collapsed back onto my bed, panting hard, hair disheveled. I found myself fighting back the inexplicable urge to cry, probably out of frustration. It wouldn't do any good to sob and moan about how life wasn't fair, especially not here. I knew this, and yet it was so hard to believe. I honestly just wanted to curl up and wallow in self-pity and pity for my friends forever.  
  
But then I remembered what Dad had told me once...  
  
"Ebon, you will make mistakes. I can't stop you there," he'd said, reaching over to ruffle my hair. "And after that, you might want to spend your whole life obsessing over what you could have, or should have done. What you didn't know. But all that really matters in the end is what you can, and will do about it. And of course, what you've learned from it."  
  
Letting out the last of my tensions in a long sigh, and reflecting on my father's words, I let my tired mind sleep.  
  
******  
  
{A/N: Here it is! I'm not dead!!! XD Well, HoTC is taking FOREVER AND A DAY to develop now. My inspiration is kaput, but I am far too stubborn to drop this project NOW! Eleven frickin chapters! GRRR!  
  
Sigh I'm trying to keep the rating down. Really. But since Ebon and Will are just SO tempted to go swearing and such, I have to be careful...!  
  
Oo ... oO Random paranoia! I have a fever... )  
  
Ahh, yes, and if Kanashimi is reading this: I WROTE THIS CHAPTER FOR YOUUU!!! (DIES PROMPTLY) X) Someone likes my stooorieee...!!!  
  
.......  
  
OH GOD! XO  
  
Uhhh, wh-what I meant in my "Notes for Chapters etc, etc" was that I could... maybe write SHOUNEN AI or SHOUJO AI. N-Not Yaoi or Yuri... O.o Oh, the hentai perviness... I can't write that...! O_O So, there will be NO HENTAINESS IN THIS STORY! I can't BELIEVE I forgot the definitions of those words!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!!!  
  
I AM A FOOL! (runs away out of sheer humiliation and hides) @_@  
  
~Demon~} 


	11. Then What Are You Doing On the Floor?

Heart of the Cards  
  
******  
  
Chapter Ten: ". Then How Come You're On the Floor?"  
  
(Will's P.O.V.)  
  
I groaned.  
  
And blinked.  
  
And blinked again.  
  
What the hell TIME was it?!  
  
And for that matter, what day...?  
  
I sat up with much effort, trying to ignore the fantastic display of colors that exploded in front of my vision. I could barely remember when I'd fallen asleep, why, or how come my chest hurt so much....  
  
Oh.  
  
Oh yeah. That.  
  
I shook my head out, memories flooding back through a hazy curtain. Being led down to the training room, seeing Gaia and Doma battle, my own Duel with Ebon... it was coming together a bit more clearly.  
  
Sitting up, I took a chance to lift the bandages wrapped in a constricting way that reminded me threateningly of snakes winding their way up my torso. Peeling back the top layer, I held my breath a little only to see...  
  
More bandages. I lifted those.  
  
More of them. I groaned and gave up, wondering why I had had that disgusting curiosity anyway. Come to think of it, where had Ivy gotten those from, anyway? I had no doubt that Ivy had down the medical clean-up. She was the only one among us that had any experience in this type of thing, and her hyper-super-freakishly high levels of maternal instinct explained why I'd most likely still be working on removing these two years from now.  
  
I got up, testing my energy. I regretted it almost at once.  
  
Staggering backward and lifting a rough claw to my face until I hit the far wall, I allowed myself to slide down it to the floor. That was more trouble than it was worth.  
  
"Will...?"  
  
"Unngh...?" I asked intelligently. Cracking open my right eye, which hurt a little less than the left, I was greeted by a blurry brown, green and blond figure.  
  
Blaine.  
  
"Hey..."  
  
"Hi Will. Are you... feeling okay?"  
  
"Yup." I lied. No need to worry Blaine, even though I had the type of shooting pain in my joints that signified that I probably should be clinically dead. He was only twelve, as I constantly had to remind myself. No need to stress him out...  
  
"... Then how come you're on the floor...?"  
  
I winced. I'd walked right into that one. "Um..."  
  
"Blaine? ... Oh! Sleeping beauty is awake!" another voice and presence entered the room, and I quickly identified it as Ivy. Her face came into focus as she traveled the room and knelt down, smiling. "How are you feeling?"  
  
I knew it was a natural thing to ask, but I was starting to get irritated. "I'm fine." I said, perhaps a bit too curtly.  
  
"Oh. I see..." She said, frowning slightly, and pulling me up to my feet with considerable force. I was more than shocked. It must be the Blue-Eyes genes, Ivy would not be able to lift me up normally.  
  
"Where's...?"  
  
"Ebon? Oh, he's out talking to Casey, his cousin..." Ivy paused and looked at the ceiling, thinking. "Coincidental, huh?"  
  
I frowned. The coincidence didn't bug me; I wouldn't be surprised if I encountered my grandparents in here, honestly. But there was something... off, I suppose, about the way that Ivy was talking, something that suggested that something was indeed, very wrong. She was just not telling me.  
  
"Ivy."  
  
"Hmmm?"  
  
Silence. I think she knew my tone, so I waited.  
  
Nothing. Ivy busied herself with straightening the already straight bed sheets.  
  
I sighed, giving up and plopping down hard on what I could only assume was Blaine's bed, since it was kept immaculate. That was one thing I could always count on Blaine for; keeping the house clean. While I admittedly was a slob and a half, Blaine was practically obsessive-compulsive about his dire need to keep things in order.  
  
My ribs each chorused out a bitching cry of pain as I took in too deep of a breath and explosively exhaled it, regretting my need to yawn. I earned myself a concerned look from Ivy, and closed my eyes to block her out. Sure, I should be more grateful, but... I really wished I could just take care of this myself and quit worrying everyone.  
  
Getting up again a little sooner than I should have wasn't fun. Swooning and pitching slightly, I made my way to the door in spite of the fact that my vision had gone dark, and groped for the doorknob, leaning my weight on it as support.  
  
About a second before it opened of it's own will.  
  
"HOLY-" Tipping forward, I bumped into the person entering the room. Well... okay, so it was a little more than a bump. We both careened off in different directions, I scaling off of the wall. And then, a strange thing happened.  
  
As I made contact with the wall, one knee smashing into it and my palms connecting to the floor, bracing myself for the pain of the full-bodied impact that was sure to follow, two new appendages: two that I hadn't really given any thought to before, spread out behind me instinctively and gave the wall a sharp tap. The world spun upside-down as I spun away from the wall. I let loose a whoop (for whatever reason), as I looped back down as agile as an alien gymnast and FWOOSH! Red and black wings spread and supporting me, hands and knees facing the ground, I touched down and promptly collapsed.  
  
It happened in maybe two seconds. But as soon as the exhilaration left, the pain kicked in.  
  
"Oh, jeez Will, sorry..." said Ebon, who had been the person I smashed into hurriedly, as I groaned and rolled over.  
  
"I'm f-fine... clenching my eyes shut, I really wanted to say "Hey! Hey, dude, did you fucking SEE THAT?!! That was fucking crazy awesome cool!" But two things were stopping me: 1) I couldn't pry my teeth open as they were clenched to stop me from shouting, and 2) I would die before I spoke the word "dude"  
  
Ebon, thankfully, let me get up on my own, and smiling sheepishly said "Didn't see you..."  
  
"... 'Course not..." I grunted, starting to recover my speech centers a bit. "You were on the other side of a door..." I shook my head out and suddenly said "Hey Ebon, did you see me?"  
  
Ebon's expression flashed to worry. "Will. are you feeling okay? I just said I didn't..."  
  
I blinked, then laughed. "No no, not like that, I meant just now! I was flying, I swear to God, I was here-" I shifted my position to the threshold of the door. "And then I hit you-" I made the motion of being ricochet off of something and careening at the wall "And THEN, when I got here, my wings kind of... smacked the wall and I went way up there and around like that and then I was hovering here for a sec, and then I feel down back over here!" I said, and sucked air in after my continuous sentence. "It was... weird. Well, okay, so it wasn't REALLY flying, but you get the point!"  
  
Ebon was looking at me blankly, eyebrows raised. "Flying."  
  
"Yes, FLYING."  
  
A blink. "Okay... that's bizarre." An expression I knew too well grasped her features, and I almost screamed at what I'd done. "But it doesn't make SENSE, how does that WORK, your wings, I mean... they're only about three- quarters size of your body each, and unless your bone structure changed-" blah blah blah.  
  
Ebon walked around and around me, pulling a wing out here, poking another there, examining them and talking all the damned time. My eyes rolled into my head as aerodynamics, contrasts to the bone structures of birds, my body weight, and a whole load of other stuff was thrown at me, seeming more overwhelming as her voice kept travelling round and round and round, giving the lecture a surround-sound stereo quality.  
  
"Ebon. No offense," I started in a hazy tone. "But SHUT UP." My eyes snapped open and a tic started under my eye as I glared at her, her new spot one just under the left wing, staring at the place where it melded into the skin.  
  
There was a short pause, and just as I was anticipating a snappy comeback, cold remark or indifferent shrug, she laughed. "You're right, sorry. Just interesting."  
  
I gaped. "Who are you, and what have you done with the real Ebon!!?"  
  
She smiled wryly. "Gimme a break. What you say to a walk down the hall? Casey told me yesterday that this place has fucking showers. Can you believe it?""  
  
****** 


End file.
